New Britain Township supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday night to remove MaryBeth McCabe as board chair and replace her with Cynthia Jones, a surprise move that came at the start of a meeting where the board also affirmed its continued partnership with Chal-Brit Regional EMS.
The leadership change on Aug. 4 was not on the agenda. Bridget Kunakorn was named vice chair in a second 4-1 vote. McCabe dissented both times.
After the meeting, according to Central Bucks News, McCabe wrote on Facebook that her ouster was retaliation for supporting Chal-Brit and cited "personal differences with my allegedly Democratic cohorts on the board." She said she had spent more than 30 hours a week since March on the township's EMS situation and manager search.
McCabe also alleged that Chalfont Borough Manager Sean Curran had sought to have Chal-Brit fire Chief Cliff Mungavin and install borough managers on the EMS board. She called it a "coup" she refused to support, claiming that refusal led the boroughs to drop Chal-Brit. Those allegations have not been independently verified, and neither Curran nor New Britain Borough Manager John Wolff responded publicly.
Township stays with Chal-Brit
Township Manager Nick Valla told residents the board requested the public EMS discussion to show it was "paying very careful attention" to Chal-Brit's finances after Chalfont and New Britain boroughs dropped the agency as their primary 911 ambulance provider. Staff did not recommend any change.
Michael Heffron, the township's appointed representative on Chal-Brit's board, told supervisors the organization expects to meet its financial obligations through the end of 2026. He attributed recent cash-flow problems to staffing shortages at third-party billing vendor Cornerstone, which created a backlog of unsubmitted insurance claims beginning in late 2025.
Chal-Brit's collection rate has climbed from about 72% to about 76%, approaching the industry benchmark of 78%, Heffron said. Billing files are again being transmitted weekly.
Other recovery steps Heffron outlined:
- Chal-Brit hired New Britain-based accounting firm Jebran & Abraham to overhaul its books and migrate from an older desktop version of QuickBooks.
- An expanded independent audit by DunlapSLK is underway, at an additional cost of about $5,000. The final report will include an opinion on Chal-Brit's ability to continue operating.
- The organization obtained a $300,000 line of credit from First National Bank and Trust Company of Newtown in February, drawing about $40,000 to cover payroll during a slow reimbursement period. The bank later froze the line after publicity about a separate $300,000 funding request; Heffron said Chal-Brit expects the restriction to be lifted.
Chal-Brit does not plan to cut staff, remove ambulances or close facilities after the two boroughs leave, Heffron said, noting those municipalities account for a relatively small share of overall calls.
Residents speak up
Mary Margaret Briggs, a 42-year township resident and former operating-room nurse, urged the board to stay the course. "What do we gain by even considering ending a relationship now? If they die, then we move on," Briggs said.
Maryanne Showalter, a 50-year resident and nurse who recalled calling Chal-Brit five or six times after her husband suffered a stroke and battled stage-four cancer, told the board: "They are exemplary. There's no other word for it."
What's next
For 2027, Chal-Brit may ask participating municipalities to raise their dedicated EMS tax contribution. The half-mill rate has not changed since 2008.
EMS Station 134 sits on township-owned land near the municipal building. Its initial 20-year lease expires next year, and Valla said renewal discussions will be necessary within the next 12 months. Chal-Brit's seven-member board is expected to discuss bylaw amendments addressing the departing boroughs' board seats at its Thursday, Aug. 20 meeting.
