The Bucks County Commissioners are the three elected officials who run county government in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, acting as both its legislative and executive branch. The current board is Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia (Chair), Robert J. Harvie Jr. (Vice Chair), and Gene DiGirolamo (Commissioner).1Bucks County, PA. Commissioners Together they set the county’s ordinances, direct its departments, and adopted a $517 million operating budget for 2026.2Bucks County, PA. Commissioners Approve 2026 Operating Budget
Who Sits on the Board
Ellis-Marseglia and Harvie are Democrats. DiGirolamo is the Republican member. Each commissioner is elected countywide to a four-year term, and the three of them share responsibility for every major decision the county makes.1Bucks County, PA. Commissioners
Why the Board Always Has a Minority Member
The two-to-one party split isn’t a coincidence. Under 16 Pa.C.S. ยง 12501, Pennsylvania voters can cast ballots for only two candidates even though three seats are on the ballot. The three highest vote-getters win, so a party’s voters can push at most two of their own candidates to the top, and the opposing party’s strongest candidate almost always takes the third seat.3Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 16 Section 12501 – Election and Vacancies The rule applies to every Pennsylvania county governed by the County Code, which covers most of the state outside Philadelphia and Allegheny County.
If a seat opens up mid-term, the Court of Common Pleas fills it by appointing someone from the same political party as the departing commissioner.3Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 16 Section 12501 – Election and Vacancies
What the Commissioners Do
The board wears two hats. As the county’s legislative body, the commissioners adopt ordinances and resolutions governing county property and protecting public health, safety, and welfare. As the executive body, they run day-to-day operations, direct county departments, and sign contracts for county services and infrastructure.
Several major departments report to them. The Department of Health delivers services aimed at preventing communicable disease, guarding against environmental hazards, and promoting healthy living.4Bucks County, PA. Department of Health The Emergency Management Agency functions as the commissioners’ disaster staff, coordinating response when severe weather or other crises hit.5Bucks County, PA. Emergency Management Agency Parks and Recreation runs the county park system, its nature centers, and its recreational programming.
The commissioners also appoint members to more than 35 boards and authorities that touch health care, land preservation, and other county matters. The county actively invites residents with relevant expertise to apply.6Bucks County, PA. Boards and Authorities
Who the Commissioners Don’t Control: Row Officers
Nine other Bucks County officials are elected independently and don’t answer to the commissioners: the Clerk of Courts, Controller, Coroner, District Attorney, Prothonotary, Recorder of Deeds, Register of Wills, Sheriff, and Treasurer. They receive office space and budget through the commissioners’ office, but each runs its own operation. When one of these seats goes vacant, the governor usually makes the interim appointment. The District Attorney is the exception: that appointment comes from the Court of Common Pleas.7Bucks County, PA. Row Officers
The Budget and Your Property Taxes
Pennsylvania law bars the county from spending beyond what the commissioners appropriate, and the board adopts its operating budget before the end of each calendar year. The 2026 budget totals $517 million and includes a property tax increase of 2.2 mills.2Bucks County, PA. Commissioners Approve 2026 Operating Budget
One mill equals one dollar of tax per $1,000 of assessed property value, so the 2.2-mill increase adds $2.20 per $1,000 of assessed value to your annual bill. That revenue pays for judicial operations, public safety, health programs, and infrastructure.
If you think your property is assessed too high, you can appeal to the Bucks County Board of Assessment Appeals. For the 2027 tax year, appeals must be submitted or postmarked by August 3, 2026, along with the required fee and supporting documents. Forms are on the Board of Assessment Appeals website.8Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Bucks County Board of Assessment Appeals
Attending Meetings and Getting Records
The Pennsylvania Sunshine Act requires the commissioners to conduct nearly all official business in public.9Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. 65 Pa. C.S. Chapter 7 – Sunshine Act In 2026, the board meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room on the first floor of the Bucks County Administration Building, 55 East Court Street in Doylestown.10Bucks County, PA. 2026 Bucks County Commissioners Meeting Schedule Anyone can attend in person.11Bucks County, PA. Public Meeting Access Instructions Meetings are live-streamed through the county’s Meeting Agendas, Minutes and Videos Portal, and recordings are posted shortly after each meeting ends.1Bucks County, PA. Commissioners The Sunshine Act also guarantees time for residents to address the board on agenda items and other county business.
Under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law, you can request county records in writing, in person, by email, or by fax. The county has five business days to respond, though it may send an interim response if it needs more time. Different departments have their own Open Records Officers, and the county’s Right-to-Know page points you to the right one. Denied requests can be appealed, and the appeal must be decided within 30 days.12Bucks County, PA. Right to Know