Husband, father, teacher Gene Sweeney has lived in Spring City for nearly two decades. Born and raised in Philadelphia, the son of a firefighter and bookkeeper, he graduated from Archbishop Kennedy High School in 1990. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Kutztown University and is employed as a middle school computer teacher.

Gene was elected to borough council in 2011 and considers it an honor and privilege to represent the people of Spring City. With a belief that municipal government’s main priorities should be public safety, fiscal responsibility, infrastructure and government services Gene also believes there is a role for council to make the borough a great place to live, work and raise a family.

He has served as the Chairman of the Parks and Recreation Committee since 2014. During that time, Gene oversaw an increase in involvement with the committee as well as an increase in the number of events sponsored by the borough. During Gene’s chairmanship, the borough participated in the On Your Park, Get Set, Go! Park Contest, which the borough won in 2017. Prize earnings from the contest helped fund the new playground equipment at Brown Street Park.

Gene was also the chairman of the Spring City Sesquicentennial Committee. The committee set out with a goal to celebrate the borough’s rich history and promising future with a series of events throughout the year. He led the fundraising effort, raising over $25,000 to support events such as the Spring City Hot Air Balloon Festival, the Sesquicentennial Parade and a fireworks display.

In an effort to increase awareness and communication with borough residents, Gene established Spring City’s social media accounts, an online newsletter and redesigned the borough’s website. He maintains and hosts the website at no costs to taxpayers. In addition to the borough’s website, he has donated time to create websites for the Spring City Sesquicentennial, the Spring City Area Business Association and the Spring City Public Library.

In the future, Gene would like to see borough council implement a comprehensive plan to continue redevelopment of Main Street along with development of the riverfront, enhance the consistency of code enforcement, increase parks and recreation events and improvement of current facilities, and continue to address traffic issues.

In his freetime, Gene enjoys home improvement projects, camping and spending time with his wife Vicki and son Danny. He also plays guitar with a number of local bands including the Alligators Blues Band, the Fabulous Taco Brothers and the Reading Phillies Mascot Band, with whom he performs as Blooper.