Here are just some of Greg’s accomplishments since being elected:
- Passed a balanced budget in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
- 7 years with no tax increases, the longest stretch in decades.
- Opened the Upper Merion Community Center which is cheaper than the vast majority of gym memberships in the region.
- Opened the Upper Merion Township Pool which is one of the least expensive public pools in the Philadelphia region.
- Proposed and passed the $10 internal minimum wage which provides over 100 township employees, most of them Upper Merion residents with raises and sent a message to our business community that we expect them to pay livable wages.
- Worked with business leaders and township staff to form the Business Improvement District, which invested $5.1 million over 5 years by local businesses into our community. The District was so successful it was re-upped for another 5 years.
- Posted information about Upper Merion happenings every single day since October 20, 2013 on his Upper Merion Supervisor Greg Waks Facebook page.
- Created the Board of Community Assistance college scholarship fund which as of May 2017 has provided over $210,000 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors from Upper Merion Township.
- Defeated proposed earned income tax in Upper Merion made by a former lame duck Supervisor.
- Resolved 50 year golf course case, which numerous previous boards attempted to resolve and couldn’t and which cost the township well over $1 million in legal fees and lost productivity in the last 10 years alone.
- Invested millions of dollars in sidewalks, trails and bike lanes to increase public safety, redressing a major failure of previous boards.
- Advanced development of the former golf course which is conservatively estimated to bring in $250 million in tax revenue to the township, school district and the county over the next 25 years.
- Reestablished televised joint meetings with the Upper Merion Area School District.
- Conceived of the new township website.
- Created the “Key to the Township” Program.
- Advocated the use of solar panels on the township building and Heuser Park to reduce electricity costs and mitigate our carbon footprint.
- Passed a resolution calling for a state law requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms to the police.
- Brought the electronic and household hazardous waste recycling programs to Upper Merion Township.
- Promoted use of technology to save paper and money while making our township more efficient.
- Proposed and passed an anti-discrimination ordinance with an enforcement clause in order to protect the LGBTQ community from employment and housing discrimination.
- Backed pension plan changes to promote and support our volunteer rescue services.
- Worked with developers to bring Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as well as Target, Shake Shack and other high profile businesses to Upper Merion.
- Found out about “lock for life” program to enable our rescue services to have emergency access to residential homes owned by seniors who live alone;
- Promoted heightened ethical standards for Supervisors;
- Established new citizens’ boards which Upper Merion Township was required to have but previous boards failed to create.
- Opened a permanent home for the Upper Merion Senior Service Center.
- Pass an ordinance to prevent door-to-door solicitors from knocking on our residents’ houses.
- Dramatically increased communication with Upper Merion residents through social media, articles, videos and more.
- Eliminated the fees residents were charged for using a credit card when they signed up for parks and recreation programs.
- Revitalized and redefined the role of the Upper Merion Township Foundation to allow it to provide funding to local organizations and charities.
- Reduced unemployment by approximately 50% from the day he was elected. Upper Merion’s unemployment of approximately 3.5% is one of the lowest in the region.
