It didn’t take long for North Wales Borough to make history in the New Year, as Democrat candidate Neil McDevitt was officially sworn-in to his first term as mayor on Monday night.
McDevitt taking office is highly notable, as he is the first candidate elected by the public who is deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL) in Pennsylvania history. Additionally, McDevitt is the second deaf mayor to hold office in the United States, following the 2018 appointment of Amanda Folendorf by Angels Camp city council in California.
“On one hand, it’s immensely important to me as a deaf person because each time the needle is moved for one of us, it makes it far easier for the next person to achieve greater success,” McDevitt said.
Although he is celebrating being the first deaf person to be elected as mayor in Pennsylvania, he emphasizes that being deaf has nothing to do with the objectives that he believes he will share with the borough council for the next several years.
“My experiences will give me unique insights and unique approaches to solving these issues, but it’s not something that becomes central to my objectives and/or approaches,” he said.
McDevitt’s appreciation for public service began when he was a kid. His mother was elected twice to the Board of Education and his father was a longtime volunteer for the Borough of Roseland, NJ.
In 2003, he began volunteering as a firefighter with the Fire Department of Montgomery Township, which continued until 2010. While he was active as a firefighter, he was also involved in local issues in Montgomery Township. When he moved to the North Wales Borough, he began to gain an interest in running locally, especially after the 2016 election.
McDevitt unsuccessfully ran for office in 2017 against Republican Greg D’Angelo, but lost that election by five votes. That tide turned during the 2021 election, however, as the rematch between McDevitt and D’Angelo ended in McDevitt’s favor via an eight-vote victory, 505 to 497.
The changing demographics in the borough and the U.S. were one of the biggest factors that led to McDevitt’s victory. There was also a significant increase in voter turnout for both parties. In 2017, there were 887 votes in the Mayoral race. In 2021, it increased over 13%, totaling 1,002 votes.
“If anything, it reinforces how vital every single vote is in every single election,” McDevitt said on the increase of votes in the mayoral race. “It reminds us how hard we need to work to ensure no one’s right to vote is impeded or their access to the polls is restricted.”
In addition to his new role as mayor, North Wales Borough Council also appointed McDevitt to serve on the North Wales Water Authority Board, as well as the Parks and Recreation Committee.
McDevitt said having a deaf mayor can help bring about conversations regarding accessibility in government. North Wales Borough is one of the few jurisdictions of its size in the area that budgets for accessibility, and McDevitt says that bringing more people who have different disabilities can help improve those factors.
“I do plan to work closely with state and federal legislators to find to help small jurisdictions like North Wales meet these obligations,” he said.
As mayor, he plans to ensure that the borough council is working collectively to understand and address the needs of the borough and the challenges that lie ahead.
“We need to learn how to work effectively together for the residents we serve,” McDevitt said. “This is important because we’ve got a wonderful mix of new and experienced elected officials and taking a bit of time now will pay significant dividends later.”
McDevitt sees great opportunities to improve communication among borough residents, citing an emphasis on severe weather and emergencies. He plans to utilize social media to keep residents informed.
As far as challenges he may face as the newly elected mayor, he expects to deal with the same ones as his predecessor, mentioning the national conversations ranging from the global pandemic and systemic racism. He recognizes that some of the issues the borough faces may require complex conversations.
“We need to have those conversations in constructive ways with our residents,” he said. “How we effectively communicate those issues and engage our residents will be a key element to overcoming those challenges. “
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