Strouse Talks COVID-19, Says Thank You In Final Mayor's Report

DOYLESTOWN, PA — After eight years as Doylestown's mayor, Ron Strouse delivered his final mayor's report on Monday. He chose not to make a bid for the seat in the most recent election.

Strouse, a Democrat, called the mayorship "an opportunity and an honor" in his last remarks, saying, "This is my chance to say thanks."

"I have spent my lifetime trying to figure out who I am as well as my purpose in life," he said in his final mayor's report. "Being mayor has certainly provided purpose. I'll leave it to others to say whether I made a difference, a good difference. If the answer is 'yes,' you can be sure that I did it in cooperation with a host of others and not alone."

He also spoke about "work undone" in the office, which he now leaves to fellow Democrat Noni West, who served as a councilperson in Doylestown for 12 years and won her bid in November.

Strouse had previously endorsed West for the mayorship, saying, "Doylestown deserves a mayor with vision, commitment, and compassion. Noni combines all of that with experience."

Strouse returned to Doylestown more than a decade ago after growing up here and graduating from Central Bucks High School.

In his career, he has been many things: an analyst and a chief of staff, a chef and a consultant. In addition to working as Doylestown's mayor, Strouse served as board president of the County Theater, the Bucks County Tourist Commission, and Planned Parenthood of Bucks County; and as chairperson of the Doylestown Human Relations Commission and the Doylestown Revitalization Board.

Of course, the past years of the COVID-19 pandemic have presented new challenges for him as a leader.

"Few of us have done a good job," he said. "Doylestown has done better than many if not most communities but there is so much more to do, to contribute to shoring up our businesses and make sure residents are not left behind."

He also took this final mayor's report as an opportunity to encourage residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

"We all know what it means and what it requires when we say 'roll up your sleeves and do your part!'" Strouse wrote. "A few months ago, we could not say 'go out and get vaccinated,' let alone get a booster. Now, there is no acceptable excuse. The dog did not eat your homework. It is no less than a civic duty, a duty to your community to finally put an end to this pandemic."

He also talked about the struggles within a local government in which many volunteer their time to continue to build sustainably on foundations of governing.

"There may be few linear paths to advancement but whether employees or volunteers, we all enjoy learning," he said. "There need to be more and focused opportunities to learn. We need to establish a culture of commitment to provide training and expertise to our volunteers and Council, and the Mayor that keeps us current and competitive with every municipality in Pennsylvania and beyond."

Strouse then addressed, in the final words of his statement, Doylestown's wealth and resources as a community. This topic has received some air time recently with regard to the Central Bucks School District's struggles during COVID-19.

"Doylestown is positioned to be a leader among communities in so many ways," he said. "But don't take it for granted. It depends on participation, engagement, and dedication."

Read Strouse's full mayor's report here.

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