Todd McGonigal Asks "Who Benefitted?"

At the September 9, 2026 Newtown Township Board of Supervisors meeting, Todd McGonigal delivered a pointed critique of the abandoned sewer treatment plant project and the political and professional relationships surrounding it. McGonigal repeatedly asked “Who benefited?” He argued that Newtown residents did not appear to benefit: sewer customers received a 47% rate increase, roughly $11.5 million was spent pursuing a treatment plant that was never built, and the property acquired for the project is now being considered for sale and possible residential development. A major focus of his remarks was Kilkenny Law and its relationship with Newtown government. McGonigal questioned whether political contributions, municipal appointments, and taxpayer-funded legal work create at least the appearance of a pay-to-play conflict of interest. He cited controversies involving the firm in other Pennsylvania municipalities and stressed that these facts do not by themselves prove wrongdoing in Newtown, but said they warrant scrutiny. McGonigal concluded by asking the Board of Supervisors to take two actions: reconsider whether Kilkenny Law should continue representing Newtown Township and refuse to rezone the former sewer-treatment-plant property for residential development. His central message was that before anything further happens with the property, residents deserve a complete accounting of what happened, why millions were spent, who made the decisions, and who ultimately benefited.