By Joanna Schlicher and Matthew Fleishman; BucksLocalNews.com

BRISTOL TWP. - By a margin of more than 20 percent, Bristol Township voters chose to eliminate the position of mayor from their government, beginning in 2012.

With nearly 3,000 votes in favor of the referendum, 60.5 percent of voters felt that seven council members and no mayor would be a more effective government than one with five council members and a mayor.

This vote comes after a study commission recommended the change.

At the Sept. 17 Bristol Township Council meeting, Mike Slipp and Janet Keyser, both members of the government study commission, announced the group's unanimous decision to recommend a substantial change from the current "council-mayor" form of government. According to Slipp, the outgoing form of government has been in place for about 25 years.

The commission met for the first time in December 2008, after local residents voted "overwhelmingly" to form a non-partisan committee to study the way Bristol Township government was run. According to Slipp, the commission was given a budget of $25,000 for researching ways to enhance or maintain the current form of government. The commission held 18 meetings over the last 10 months. In addition, they held public hearings and meetings, and encouraged public comment.

The commission recommended the township council increase from five to seven members, which Slipp said would help with response to public complaints. They also suggested eliminating the mayor position all together.

"I've never known an elected official in this area not to respond to resident complaints, but I know sometimes you (council) get overwhelmed, and if people don't get the response they want, their perception is that they were ignored," he said.

Slipp also said that a problem with the current government is a lack of definition as to whose role is what. The commission wants the new government to have a strong manager position, and all council members would have to go through the manager department when dealing with residents.

"This will allow council members to be what they should be - policy makers," he said.

"Our goal was to come to a result that all seven commission members could agree on," said Slipp. They were successful, because all seven did agree on the findings.

"I strongly urge a 'yes' vote," said Slipp, in September. "I think it's the right thing to do."

While the shape of the government will change in 2012, Tina M. Davis (15.6 percent), Bob Lewis (13.6 percent), Rick Pluta (13.3 percent) and Tony Tucker (12.9 percent) won four-year terms on Bristol Township Council.

Democrat John P. Monahan (58.8 percent) defeated Republican James H. McCullen, Jr., (41.2 percent) for the position of Bristol Township Executive.

In addition, Kevin P. Wagner and William E. Keyser ran unopposed for the two positions as constable.