Bensalem Township Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo may have been in office since January 1994, but the past two years proved to be some of the most challenging. From the COVID-19 pandemic to devastating storm damage over the summer, DiGirolamo and his administration were tasked with handling one disaster after the next.
As the end of his seventh term approaches, Bensalem native DiGirolamo is facing his next challenge – battling Democrat Val Ridge, who also has lifelong township roots, in the mayor race on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Ahead of the election, The Times spoke with both candidates about their accomplishments and goals for Bensalem’s future.
For DiGirolamo, in the midst of global illness, hurricanes and civil unrest these past two years, his primary focus was collaborating with police, fire and EMS for the benefit of residents.
“The most important thing is the safety and welfare of the community, and the main thing that I’ve done is made sure we had the best police department, the best EMS and fire, volunteer and paid. That’s the hallmark of what I do now, is to make sure we keep people safe,” he said.
A deep area of pride for him is the police department, which is making an effort to promote diversity and inclusion in Bensalem through a partnership with NAACP Bucks County and enhanced police training.
“That’s what we want here in Bensalem,” DiGirolamo said. “We don’t need any craziness going on and we don’t have that. We address issues as soon as there’s an issue.”
Regarding the storms that ravaged Bensalem over the summer, DiGirolamo proudly stated how no lives were lost. However, many residents are still unable to return to their homes. He and state legislators are rallying for more funding and assistance.
“I’m very disappointed in the governor not helping all these folks down here that were out of their homes,” DiGirolamo said. “We’re doing the best we can and we’ll continue to lobby for as many things as we can for the people.”
Accomplishments for DiGirolamo include not raising real estate taxes throughout his tenure as mayor and coming in under budget each year.
If re-elected, a strong focus will be placed on infrastructure, including the redevelopment of the waterfront, something that was paused during COVID-19; working on flooding issues along State Road; and revamping the Neshaminy Mall.
“I work hard at this. I’m here every day, every night. Bensalem’s my home. Bensalem’s everything to me,” DiGirolamo said. “I was born here, I was baptized, married, everything in Bensalem. This is where I will spend my final days. This town has been my heart and soul.”
As for Ridge, she can say the same thing. The 55-year-old grew up in Bensalem, played basketball at the high school and graduated in the class of 1984. She spent a decade with the Bensalem Township Police Department and now serves as the safety administrator for the Bensalem Township School District, where she has worked in various capacities for 18 years.
Given her background, Ridge proudly admitted that she’s “not a politician.”
“What you see is what you get. People know my name just from being here for so long, and I just want to keep moving Bensalem in the right direction,” she said. “There’s so much hate on the far left and the far right, and I’m in the middle. I’m just a Bensalem resident that wants to do the best for Bensalem. I’ll talk to anybody that’s willing to work with me to make Bensalem a better place.”
If elected, public safety would be her No. 1 priority. Ridge boasts 30 years of experience in this area and finds it “crazy” that some say she doesn’t want to keep Bensalem safe.
“I have no thoughts of bringing in safe injection sites or anything of that nature, which they’re trying to insert into the people’s minds. They’re trying to say Val Ridge wants to bring in a criminal element to Bensalem through Philly, Camden and Trenton,” she said. “I’ve been living here for 55 years. Why would I want to do that?”
Ridge stressed that she supports first responders 100 percent and would give them anything they need to do their jobs better. She would also make sure they have sufficient training to handle any future weather events, such as the severe flooding this past summer.
Other goals include helping struggling businesses get back on their feet, and implementing a strategy to improve infrastructure.
“We have to take a look at that. We have to develop a three-, five- and 10-year strategic plan. We can’t go year to year,” she said. “I may or may not be in office, but at least the groundwork would already be set.”
Support is being given to Ridge by the Victory Fund, which provides campaign, fundraising and communications aid to LGBTQ candidates. If selected by voters, Ridge would be the first LGBTQ mayor of Bensalem, but she wouldn’t want emphasis to be placed on this.
“I want to be the norm, not the exception. That’s big for me,” she said. “I’m Val Ridge, the Bensalem resident that just wants to be mayor.”
Polls are open on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visit buckscounty.gov/1254/Voters for more information.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
