Mark Baum Baicker: Stewarding Solebury

INTERVIEW WITH MARK BAUM BAICKER

Mark Baum Baicker is an attorney with a master’s degree in taxation. He’s run a financial planning and insurance business in Doylestown for nearly 40 years. In 2017, he was appointed to Solebury Township’s Board of Supervisors and was unanimously elected to board chair in 2018. Here, he shares how preserving farms, finances, and open spaces helps protect Solebury’s unique character.

What do you enjoy most about your role as board chair?

The best part is that we’re able to accomplish things. Solebury’s way of life is about the viewscapes and preserving farms, the environment, and historic buildings. I always joke that I’m a “jack of no trades and a master of none.” My job is to shepherd the board and help get things done.

What achievements do you find you are most proud of?

About 40% of our land is now preserved, and we’ve done it in a fiscally responsible way. We balance our budget, rarely raise taxes, and have one of the lowest tax rates in Bucks County.

What makes Solebury special?

Drive along roads like Armitage, Meetinghouse, or Paxton, and you’ll see wide-open space with gorgeous farms and old farmhouses. It’s not the most convenient place to live, but you give up a little convenience for a lot of beauty. People may have different views, but almost everyone rallies around preserving what we have.

What might surprise people about your job?

It’s basically a volunteer job, but you still have to run a campaign, raise money, organize supporters, and go through an election before the work even begins.

How do you like to spend your free time in Solebury?

My wife and I love walking. We live in Carversville and often walk about five and a half miles to the river and back. We’ve probably done it more than 1,000 times. It’s a different walk depending on the season. That’s one of the things we love most about living here.

Lela Casey has been writing professionally for over 15 years. She and her family live in Doylestown.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Baum Baicker