Bern Township

What Bern Township does

Bern Township is a municipal government entity organized as a Township of the Second Class under Pennsylvania law, founded in 1738 and located in Berks County, Pennsylvania (1069 Old Bernville Road, Reading, PA 19605). It administers local government services to a population of 6,609 residents across 19.35 square miles within the Schuylkill Valley School District. Core services include police protection, fire/emergency services (transitioned to Muhlenberg Township Fire and Rescue after Greenfields Fire Company #55's 2025 retirement), trash and recycling collection (contracted), road maintenance, snow removal on designated emergency routes, stormwater management under the MS4 program (codified via Ordinance No. 340 adopted February 2023), zoning and building permits, and general administration.

The township operates a subsidiary municipal authority, the Bern Township Municipal Authority (BTMA), which provides sewer and water services to over 900 customers. Revenue is generated through a diversified but locally bounded tax and fee structure: property taxes (2026 total township millage of 6.11 mills), Earned Income Tax (0.5% resident / 1% non-resident), Local Services Tax ($52/employee), Realty Transfer Tax (0.5%), amusement and wireless facility fees, sewer user fees, zoning/permit fees, and contracted trash collection assessments. The 2025 operating budget totals $6,183,996.

The entity is governed by an elected Board of Supervisors and managed by a Township Manager; Brian Potts, the long-tenured Township Manager, announced retirement in 2025. The township maintains strategic partnerships with the Berks County MS4 Steering Committee, Berks Nature land trust, the Berks County Agricultural Conservation Easement (ACE) Program, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and LTL Consultants, Ltd. (which serves as Building Inspector, Code Enforcement Officer, and Zoning Officer). It is not a commercial enterprise and has no parent company, no funding rounds, and no AI/technology product surface.

Name

Bern Township

Legal name

Township of Bern

Website

https://berntownship.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1738

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bern Township is a Pennsylvania municipal government (Township of the Second Class) that administers local services — police, fire, trash, sewer (via BTMA), zoning, and taxation — to 6,609 residents across 19.35 square miles in Berks County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement (BPAIACAE)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public works administration
• Wastewater utility services
• Property tax collection
• Land use zoning

Headquarters

HQ city

North Reading

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax: Real estate taxes levied on property within the township. 2026 total millage of 6.11 mills (General Township 5.01 mills, Capital Improvements 0.21 mills, Fire Protection 0.89 mills). School District Tax is 27.82 mills. Berks County Tax Rate is 9.013 mills.
2. Earned Income Tax (EIT): Berks Earned Income Tax: 0.5% for residents, 1% for non-residents. Collected through Berks Earned Income Tax Bureau.
3. Local Services Tax: $52 per year per employee working in the township.
4. Realty Transfer Tax: 0.5% on property transfers within the township.
5. Light District Rate: $0.50 per front foot for properties in the light district.
6. Sewer User Fees (BTMA): Sewer service fees for BTMA customers. BTMA has 900+ customers. The BTMA Board is committed to keeping user fees steady. Rates for sewer customers went down just over a year ago. ACH automatic payment option available at no charge.
7. Amusement Tax: 10% on amusement activities within the township. Special Event Permit Fee $50.
8. Business Wholesale Retail Tax: 0% - the township does not impose a business wholesale retail tax.
9. Wireless Facility Annual License Fee: $270 per facility for wireless facilities.
10. Trash Collection Fees: Trash collection services provided through a contracted trash collector. Holidays observed: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bern Township is a Township of the Second Class in Berks County, Pennsylvania that administers local government services to approximately 6,609 residents across 19.35 square miles. Core services include police protection, fire/emergency services, trash and recycling collection, road and snow maintenance, stormwater management (MS4 program), zoning and building permit administration, and general municipal administration. The township also operates the Bern Township Municipal Authority (BTMA), a subsidiary authority serving 900+ sewer and water customers.

Product overview

Bern Township is a municipal government entity (a Township of the Second Class in Berks County, Pennsylvania) providing public services to its residents. The township offers administrative services, police protection, emergency management, planning and zoning, road maintenance, trash/recycling collection, sewer services through BTMA (Bern Township Municipal Authority), and various permits and licenses. This is not a commercial technology product company but a local government organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bern Township Municipal Authority (BTMA): Municipal authority handling sewer and water services for Bern Township residents
• Greenfields Fire Company #55

Products and services

• Police Protection
• Fire Protection Services
• Trash and Recycling Collection

Quantifiable outcome

• 2020 Census population of 6,609 residents across 19.35 square miles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Reading Airport AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986In 1986, with support from the community and Reading Airport, a new firehouse was built on Route 183 adjacent to the former concession building. The facility was leased to Greenfields Fire Company #55 by Reading Airport for a nominal fee.
• Muhlenberg Township Fire and RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuhlenberg Township Fire and Rescue provides fire protection services to Bern Township. Monthly reports are provided to the Bern Township Board of Supervisors.
• Schuylkill Valley School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBern Township is within the Schuylkill Valley School District. A Memorandum of Understanding exists between the Bern Township Police Department and the Schuylkill Valley School District.
• Berks County Youth CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of Understanding between Bern Township Police Department and Berks County Youth Center.
• LTL Consultants, Ltd.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLTL Consultants, Ltd. serves as the Building Inspector, Code Enforcement Officer, and Zoning Officer for Bern Township. Located at P.O. Box 241, One Town Center Drive, Oley, PA 19547.
• Berks NaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerks Nature, a Land Trust, currently holds conservation easements in Bern Township. They provide land protection services and information on protecting land.
• Berks County Agricultural Conservation Easement (ACE) ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Berks County ACE Program is a county and state funded preservation program that has preserved 80,000 acres of farmland. Bern Township participates through its Agricultural Security Area. One criteria for enrollment is that the farm must be enrolled in an Ag Security Area (ASA).
• Pennsylvania Department of AgriculturecoreOthersThe Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture oversees Agricultural Security Areas. Applications for voluntary enrollment of parcels with more than 10 acres are reviewed by the ASA Advisory Committee.
• Berks County MS4 Steering CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBern Township is a participating member of the Berks County MS4 Steering Committee, which provides stormwater management training and resources including YouTube videos about outfall inspections, emergency operations, and winter salting.
• Penn State HealthminorOthersPenn State Health has a project in the area: Hospital Pump Station and Sewage Collection System - Update mentioned in BTMA engineering reports.
• PenskeminorOthersPenske has multiple projects in Bern Township including Penske District Services Facility and Penske Truck Collision & Repair. Regular updates provided at BTMA meetings.
• Regional Resource Recovery Authority (RRAA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTMA participates in bi-monthly RRAA meetings as part of its project committee report activities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lower Alsace Township, Berks County: Small Berks County Township providing the same municipal services as Bern, including zoning, public works, and limited sewer operations. Comparable in size and administrative structure for benchmarking.
• Tulpehocken Township, Berks County: Rural Berks County Township of similar population scale to Bern with agricultural land preservation and a comparable service portfolio. Relevant peer for benchmarking rural township cost structures and ACE Program participation.
• Cumru Township, Berks County: A Pennsylvania Second Class Township in Berks County with a similar service portfolio (police, zoning, public works, sewer authority) and overlapping BTMA-style municipal authority structure. Comparable on revenue mix and operational scale.
• Wyomissing Borough, Berks County: Borough (rather than Township) in Berks County providing overlapping municipal services with a strong commercial tax base. Comparable for benchmarking commercial permit and sewer fee structures.
• Upper Bern Township, Berks County: Adjacent small Township in Berks County referenced in Bern's public meeting materials. Operates the same Second Class Township governance model with public works, zoning, and police contracting arrangements.
• Muhlenberg Township, Berks County: Adjacent Township in Berks County that currently provides fire and rescue services to Bern Township under an inter-municipal agreement. Operates the same Pennsylvania Second Class Township governance model with police, public works, sewer authority, and zoning.
• Spring Township, Berks County: A neighboring Township of comparable administrative class in Berks County, Pennsylvania, providing a similar portfolio of municipal services (zoning, public works, police, sewer authorities). It is the closest direct peer for benchmarking operating costs, millage rates, and service delivery models in the same county.
• Robeson Township, Berks County: Berks County Township with comparable service mix and Second Class Township governance. Has its own municipal sewer authority similar in function to BTMA.
• South Heidelberg Township, Berks County: Berks County Township of similar size and class providing municipal services including police, public works, zoning, and sewer authority oversight. Comparable for benchmarking millage and municipal authority governance.
• Exeter Township, Berks County: Berks County Township of comparable size and class offering the same municipal service mix including police, zoning, planning, and a municipal sewer authority. Highly relevant peer for operational benchmarking within the same county.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bern-township

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bern Township