Meet William Gallagher, Incumbent Horsham Township Council Member Seeking Reelection

HORSHAM, PA — As Patch continues our local pre-election coverage, take a moment to learn about William Gallagher, an incumbent Horsham Township Council member who is seeking reelection.

Gallagher took the time to respond to a Patch candidate questionnaire, and his responses can be seen below.

Age (as of Election Day)

67

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

I have been married to my wife Peggy for 38 years and have two children and three grandchildren. My children both grew up in Horsham and attended Hatboro-Horsham schools.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelor Degree - Temple University - Secondary Education - Social Studies
Master Degree - Temple University - Education

Occupation

I retired in 2019 after teaching for forty four years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Horsham Township Council

Campaign website

https://www.horshamdems.org

Why are you seeking elective office?

I think I can continue to find ways to improve Horsham. The time that I have served on Horsham Township Council has been a great experience and has showed me that we have so many amazing people who have done so much to make our community a beautiful place to live, work and enjoy. I think I have learned how to work with many organizations, groups and individuals and I support their efforts in making Horsham "even better." That also includes the ability to work with people from different political parties in the best interest of our community. I think I can help to maintain the very high level of public services for our residents while keeping the lowest possible costs to our tax payers. I am very aware of the many challenges our township faces in the years ahead and think that I can work with my colleagues on Council to meet those challenges as well as even improving many of the services we provide our residents. My focus will be to look for ways to enhance everything we already do well for all members of our community.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

I am very concerned about the over development of our township. This impacts the quality of life for all our residents. Our last comprehensive plan was done in 2011 and a new comprehensive planning process is being considered for 2022. Planning is essential to future development in Horsham and we must also consider the development of the air base and the impact that will have on our community. We should make every effort to maximize community engagement in this process and we should use that information to guide our decisions on Township Council when considering approvals for any projects in the future. I will always consider the benefit to our township and the impact that future developments have on our community before approving any development projects.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have learned so much over the past three and a half years serving on Horsham Township Council. This experience will be a huge benefit if I am fortunate to serve a second term. I also think I have been able to work with many groups and organizations throughout my years as a resident of Horsham Township. This gives me the opportunity to use those experiences as a way to make Horsham an "even better place to live, work and enjoy." I will be looking for ways to improve everything we do in service of the residents of Horsham. The challenge that I think we will face in the years ahead will be to bring members of our community together to assist in enhancing the quality of life for everyone in Horsham. I think I can be effective in helping us reach that goal.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

N/A

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Horsham has many boards and commissions that research, study and give advice on many of the responsibilities of Horsham government. I think they are valuable members of our community and I greatly appreciate the work they do. I would like to see an increase in the number of presentations these groups make at township council meetings. I think this information is very valuable in guiding the decisions made by council. I would also like to see much more bipartisan representation on these boards and commissions to better reflect the views of all our residents and also increase the level of transparency in the work they do. There should be at least one member of the minority party represented on each of these groups.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Veronica Hill-Milbourne and I ran in 2017 and campaigned to increase transparency on Horsham Council. Meetings are now televised and residents can view meetings if they can not attend in person. I think we have worked well with all members of council in arriving at bipartisan agreements on almost all matters in front of council. We have maintained a very high quality of public services and still kept our taxes low. I am also very proud of our bipartisan effort to form Horsham Connected. This is a group of over forty community groups and organizations that are listed on a their web site. Each organization is listed and described and all residents can use this site to find out more and possibly volunteer. There is also a calendar of events that can be used to avoid scheduling conflicts and also for residents to enjoy the events listed. Horsham is such a great community and I hope I have helped to make it "even better" over my time on Horsham Township Council.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Learn from your mistakes and apply that knowledge to improve everything you do.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

It is an honor to serve in local government and is a great opportunity to help make the lives of friends and neighbors better on a daily basis. I would welcome the opportunity to continue that work on Horsham Township Council.