Mayor Samantha Kaag

08/25/2026

First budget meeting of the season is officially in the books 📊🏛️ Let the budget season fun begin!

08/24/2026

📚✏️ Back to school, West Reading!

Wishing all of our students, teachers, staff, and families a great first day and a strong start to the new school year. 💙💛

And a reminder for the rest of us: slow down, stay alert, and watch for students at crosswalks, bus stops, and throughout our communities.

Have a great year, everyone! 🚌📓

08/23/2026

“A republic, if you can keep it.”

Governor Josh Shapiro shared that Benjamin Franklin quote today while visiting the Berks County Democratic Party home base, and I think it’s one worth sitting with.

Our democracy doesn’t work if we don’t participate in it.

Vote. Speak up. Pay attention. Ask questions. Show up in your community. Use your voice - even when it feels like no one is listening.

I say it all the time: local government works best when people are engaged, and the same is true at every level.

Really great to have Governor Shapiro back in Berks County today and to spend some time talking about what’s at stake and the responsibility all of us have to keep showing up.

The election is coming up. Your voice matters, use it this November. 🇺🇸💙

08/19/2026

Today is Volunteer Firefighters Day. 🚒

Here in West Reading, our firefighters are volunteers - neighbors who leave dinner, family, work, or sleep when the pager goes off because someone in our community needs help.

As a volunteer myself, I know how much that commitment asks of people.

To the members of the West Reading Fire Department, past and present: thank you for your time, your service, and for continuing to show up for our borough.

And to volunteer firefighters everywhere: thank you. Our communities are safer and stronger because of you. ❤️🚒

08/13/2026

A pretty special full-circle moment. 💙

When I first started volunteering in West Reading and Berks County, I definitely wasn’t thinking about becoming Mayor someday. I just wanted to be involved in the community I called home.

One thing led to another - community cleanups, volunteering with the fire department, serving on Borough Council, becoming West Reading’s first female Mayor, and most recently, being named Mayor of the Year by the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs.

I recently sat down with Phyllis to talk about that journey, what I’ve learned along the way, and why I still believe some of the best public service starts with something pretty simple: showing up, listening, and being willing to learn.

And while West Reading will always be at the heart of my story, one of the best parts of this role has been getting to know so many people doing good work throughout Berks County. Our municipalities may all be a little different, but we share a community - and there’s a lot we can learn from each other when we stay connected.

Thank you to Phyllis McLaughlin and Berks Weekly for sitting down with me and telling a little bit of my story. Seeing the journey written out like this was pretty surreal. 💙

And to everyone who has trusted me, supported me, challenged me, or simply given me the opportunity to show up along the way - thank you. There’s still a lot more work to do, and I’m excited to keep doing it.

Give it a read below 👇

Samantha Kaag’s story began in Virginia Beach, Virginia, but her family moved frequently throughout her childhood, to Pennsylvania, and New York at various points in her life. She graduated from Candor High School in New York. “My goal after graduation was to go to college and pursue a degree in...

08/13/2026

Turns out mayors need a night to catch up, too 😊

Spent the evening at Troubles End Brewing in Collegeville with a few fellow borough mayors - sharing some good food, catching up on what’s happening in our communities, swapping ideas and talking through some of the things that come with this very unique job.

I really value nights like this. Local government is incredibly local, but so much of what we’re working through is shared. Having a group of people you can learn from, bounce ideas off of and occasionally just laugh with is a pretty great thing.

Good food, great conversation and a few new ideas to bring home to West Reading! 💙

08/10/2026

Another event in the books. 🏁☕️

I really do love Berks Cars & Coffee!

Yesterday brought out such a great mix of people, pets and cars - classics, newer builds, familiar faces, first-timers, families, friends, and plenty of people just there to enjoy the morning and grab some good food!

That’s probably my favorite part of it. You don’t have to know everything about cars or have something fancy in the lot. You can just show up, grab a coffee, walk around, talk to people and be part of it.

Always a good crowd. Always a good time. Already looking forward to the next one! 🤍

08/05/2026

I always leave National Night Out feeling grateful. 💙

Grateful for the conversations. The familiar faces. The new faces. The kids who couldn’t wait to climb on every truck they saw. The officers and first responders who took the time to answer questions, hand out stickers, and just be present.

Everyone simply enjoying a summer evening together… it really doesn’t get much better than that.

It was also a privilege to recognize former Chief Wayne Holben for more than 25 years of dedicated service to our borough. From K-9 officer and investigator to sergeant and Chief, Wayne’s career was defined by service, and it was an honor to thank him for everything he’s given to West Reading.

Thank you to the West Reading Borough Police for organizing another incredible National Night Out, and to our firefighters, EMS, volunteers, sponsors, local businesses, and every single person who came out to spend the evening with us.

This little borough has a way of reminding me why I love serving it. Tonight was one of those nights💙