A county official running for Congress faces sharp criticism over a string of decisions that raised property taxes, included a self-approved pay increase, funded controversial local programs, and drew questions about public safety and priorities.
Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie is the Democratic challenger to Republican incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District, a race many expect to be competitive. Voters and local observers are digging into Harvie’s record on the county board as the campaign heats up. The scrutiny centers on budget choices and how taxpayer dollars were spent under his watch.
Last December Harvie cast the deciding vote to raise Bucks County property taxes by almost 10 percent, an increase well above what county staff recommended. That boost helped close a $16 million operational budget deficit, but it came with controversy over how large the hike should be. Jeannette Weaver, the county’s interim chief financial officer, had proposed an increase of 2 mils — $2 more in taxes for every $1,000 of assessed value, yet Harvie pushed the rate to 2.2 mils.
Beyond the tax increase, Harvie also voted to give himself a pay raise, and newly uncovered audio captured him speaking about his motivations for public service. “Really the same reason I ran for local office and county office is really the same reason I became a social studies teacher, you know, after I was coming out of high school,” Harvie said. “It wasn’t for the money.” The crowd laughed. Harvie continued, “Despite the pay raise I gave myself.” The crowd laughed some more.
Those moments have become political ammunition because the optics are stark: a public official joking about a personal pay raise while homeowners are told they must shoulder a higher tax bill. Voters who felt squeezed by the increase say the combination of higher taxes and an elected official approving his own raise erodes trust in local government. Critics argue it undercuts the common-sense message that officials are meant to serve, not enrich themselves.
Harvie’s record on immigration and public safety has raised additional alarm among opponents. During his time as commissioner he directed county funds to services for illegal aliens, including $3,000 to Immigrant Rights Action, which later merged with the Welcome Project PA. He voted to stop former Sheriff Fred Harran from working with ICE, and he reportedly compared Harran, who is Jewish, to Nazis in 1930s Germany. The ACLU sued Harran and he won in court, but he ultimately lost reelection and his successor rolled back the county’s cooperation agreements with ICE.
Local spending choices on social programs have also attracted controversy. Harvie backed a $13,500 grant approved in December to Planned Parenthood Keystone from the county’s Opioid Settlement Fund for “expanding services and transportation” to the Rainbow Room, a local center that “caters to gay and trans youth.” Critics say funds meant for recovering opioid addicts were diverted to transport young people to an “LGBTQ+ Youth Center” that offered “medical transition” seminars.
Those programs included events that many parents found disturbing. In May 2024 the Rainbow Room reportedly held a “Sex Ed Night/Masturbation” seminar promoted with a sexually suggestive image, and in 2023 it hosted a “Queer Prom” where attendees, some of whom were as young as 13 years old, received goody bags containing condoms, lubricant, and dental dams. For many local families, using opioid settlement dollars for those purposes crossed a line and raised questions about priorities and oversight.
The bottom line from a Republican perspective is simple: Harvie’s record shows a pattern of tax-and-spend decisions, controversial allocations, and policies critics call risky for public safety. Jokes about pay raises and funding choices that appear out of step with community norms have hardened opposition among voters who want fiscal responsibility and clear priorities. As the campaign continues, those issues are likely to remain central to how voters evaluate his fitness for higher office.
