Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026

The Daily Buzz: Regional Police Costs Skyrocket

Daily Weather · Tuesday

60°High34°Low

Tuesday starts with patchy fog before 9 a.m., then turns sunny, with a high around 60°F to 62°F and a night low in the low to mid 30s, so bring a jacket for the evening. Wednesday is mostly sunny to mostly cloudy with a high near 63°F, a decent evening for the Gateway session in Smithfield at 6 p.m. Thursday is mostly sunny with a high near 69°F.

Friday is the warm one, sunny with a high in the low 70s, just in time for Mischief Night. Halloween on Saturday looks dry with a high in the mid 60s, which is good news for the East Stroudsburg parade and trick-or-treaters alike. Sunday stays cloudy in the mid to upper 60s, and Monday may bring morning showers.

Top story

SARP Costs up 16% for the Three Towns

Illustration of a Stroud Area Regional Police patrol car in front of the department building and flagpole, under the headline Three towns face a 16% jump in their police bill

Monroe Unfiltered

Stroud Area Regional Police (SARP) wants a 12 percent bigger budget next year, and the three towns that fund it would pay 16 percent more. The draft 2027 budget is about $13.1 million, up from about $11.7 million in 2026. The towns’ combined bill would rise from about $10.4 million to $12.0 million. It rises faster than the overall budget because a one-time $350,000 carryover that helped cover this year’s bill shrinks to $50,000.

What’s driving the increase? The biggest culprit is health insurance, up about $500,000 on an assumed 15 percent renewal increase. That, combined with contractual raises of about $500,000, accounts for about 70 percent of the department’s budget increase. The department’s presentation says there is “no where else to cut.”

Is the split fair? Stroud Township covers about 48 percent of the cost, East Stroudsburg 31 percent and Stroudsburg 20 percent, per documents East Stroudsburg posted for its Oct. 20 council meeting.

By workload, East Stroudsburg looks about even: it pays 31 percent and accounts for about 31 percent of calls for service and 34 percent of September’s cases. Stroud Township pays about 48 percent for about 39 percent of calls and 37 percent of cases. Stroudsburg pays about 20 percent for about 30 percent of calls and 29 percent of cases. That suggests Stroud Township pays more than its workload share and Stroudsburg less, but the shares may weigh other factors, such as population or property values. Calls and cases are not crimes, and the case figures cover September only.

What it means for East Stroudsburg. Its council is working through its 2027 budget in public, which is where these numbers surfaced. The borough’s share, about $3.8 million, is up 16 percent and is more than the $3.0 million its general fund property tax raised in 2026. By our math, it equals about 94 percent of all the property tax the borough collects. The draft budget would raise the tax rate from about 9.0 to 10.3 mills, or $1.30 per $1,000 of assessed value, which is $130 a year on a $100,000 assessment. The adoption hearing is Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 24 Analomink St. Note: numbers may vary slightly due to rounding.

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📋 the Daily Rundown

Two Killed in Route 209 Crash in Hamilton Township

State Police say a southbound vehicle failed to stay in its lane and struck a northbound vehicle on Route 209 at 6625 Route 209 at about 6:28 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25. Jaylan Henry, 27, of Blakeslee, the southbound driver, died while being taken to St. Luke’s Anderson Campus in Easton. Alexander Ntoas, 24, of Stroudsburg, the northbound driver, died at the scene. Route 209 was closed between Hickory Valley and Beaver Valley roads for an extended period. The crash remains under investigation, per the Times News and FOX56. Our condolences to the families and friends of both men.

Last Call for Gateway Party Status

Today, Tuesday, Oct. 27, is the deadline to email Smithfield Township Manager Julia Heilakka if you want to apply for party status, a formal role in the Gateway data center case. On Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. at J.T. Lambert Intermediate School, 2000 Milford Road, the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to open the formal conditional use hearing, but at that session it will only consider party status requests. Blank forms will also be available there. The township has not posted a date for the rest of the hearing, and it says the session could be cancelled or postponed if the applicant extends the review deadline, so check smithfieldtownship.com before you go.

Also in today’s Buzz

The View from the 8thOne week out, and one deadline left today

Today, Tuesday, Oct. 27, is the last day to apply for a mail ballot. Apply online by 5 p.m., or in person at the Monroe County Elections Office, One Quaker Plaza, Room 105, in Stroudsburg, which closes at 4:30 p.m. The phone number is 570-517-3165. Once you have your ballot, the Pennsylvania Department of State says it must be received by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and a postmark does not count.

The View from the 8thWho is on the 8th District ballot

As if you needed reminding, Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R) is defending his seat against Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti (D), a race Ballotpedia describes as a toss-up. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Democrats have booked $14.8 million in ads in the district and Republicans $12.3 million, between June and December, about $27.1 million combined by our math. The paper did not say how many ads that is, but if your TV has been quiet lately, check that it is plugged in.

The View from the 8thBresnahan’s Latest Bill, Explained

Rep. Rob Bresnahan co-introduced a bipartisan bill, the 340B Rebate Model Delay Act, H.R. 10770. The federal 340B program lets qualifying hospitals buy outpatient drugs at steep upfront discounts. Under the rebate model, hospitals would pay full price and wait for drugmakers to decide whether and how much to rebate, which the American Hospital Association says shifts costs onto hospitals. The bill would pause that program while Congress works on changes. While we do not know if any local hospitals use the program, Monroe County has two full-service hospitals, Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono in East Stroudsburg and St. Luke’s Monroe Campus in Bartonsville, so we will be watching.

Monroe Market MoversJ.Crew Factory Is Open at the Outlets

We missed a recent opening, and a reader set us straight: J.Crew Factory is now open at the Tannersville outlets, around the corner from Polo and next to Cole Haan. The store sells women’s, men’s and kids’ clothing, offers in-store pickup, and takes private shopping appointments by phone at 272-246-1047. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Monroe Market MoversFall Cocktail Trail Is Saturday, Nov. 7

The Pocono Chamber’s self-guided walk through participating local restaurants runs from noon to 4 p.m. and takes about 90 minutes. The $30 ticket gets you cocktail samples, a passport and a souvenir cup. You must be 21 or older, and it goes rain or shine. Tickets are on the Chamber’s Eventbrite page or at the door, with check-in at the Chamber office. The Chamber has not posted which restaurants are taking part.

Monroe Market MoversFairways & Mulligans Golf Lounge Opens Nov. 12

The new lounge is going into an 8,050-square-foot space at The Shoppes at Marshalls Creek, 4545 Milford Road in East Stroudsburg. The listing broker’s post says it will feature golf simulator technology and a full-service restaurant, and describes Fairways & Mulligans as a planned franchise whose first three locations have been identified. The Pocono Chamber is hosting the grand opening on Thursday, Nov. 12, from 11 a.m. to noon, with a ceremony at 11:30 a.m. It is free, and you can register through the Chamber.

Silver LiningsSeniors Get Their Prom

The Pocono Family YMCA held its 24th annual 55-plus senior prom on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Elks Lodge. The winter wonderland theme came with music, dancing, door prizes and refreshments, and plenty of dressing up. Attendee Joan Dickens, there with her husband, praised the push to keep seniors social and active, per WFMZ. Full disclosure: this author is 54, and 55-plus strikes us as a very low anchor for a “senior” ball. Does anybody agree with me? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller? (Those of us in my age bracket should appreciate that joke.)