Like most municipalities, Northampton County has a gift ban. In 2023, after a great deal of foot-dragging, Council adopted a gift ban ordinance proposed by Executive Lamont McClure to close some loopholes in the Administrative Code. Except for items of de minimis value, like a pen or a coffee cup, the basic rule is that no elected official should accept a gift from anyone who wants something from the county. That includes entities like ArtsQuest and the Iron Pigs, who always want hotel tax revenue.
At Council's April 3 meeting, Council members Kelly Keegan and Ron Heckman both complained about the ban.
According to Keegan, "Businesses want us there [at events] as county commissioners, but we have this ordinance that we pay for, that we can't accept gifts. But they want us to be present and they're inviting us but we can't go to everything because it's too expensive to go to everything and not accept a gift."
Heckman bemoaned the ban on free tickets to Iron Pigs games. "You're not being invited to the Plaza Hotel for a Trump announcement with lobster and hors d'oeurves. You're invited to the AAA ball park and let's say they have sodas there, and let's say they have hamburgers, day-old hot dogs, I think it's crazy to say 'Oh somehow, you're doing something and getting something that the general public ... I mean if you go down that rabbit hole far enough, you're gonna' come out ... by saying that some of this stuff had something to do with the JFK assassination."
Heckman and Keegan are both painfully unaware of the question of optics presented when a member of the general public sees an elected official living it up in a VIP tent at Musikfest or the Iron Pigs box.
Common Cause's Jay Keck has noted, "The real problem in my mind is one of perception. ... Public officials get preferential treatment by being offered these tickets ahead of the rest of the public. ... It creates real cynicism on the part of a lot of citizens about public officials and, frankly, I think public officials, to their detriment, accept things like this and don't think twice about the effect it's going to have on public morale."
If this means you're unable to attend an event because it's too expensive, welcome to the real world.
45 comments:
Bernie,
These two council people should be worrying about the funding for the many services needed by their constituents and not perks for themselves. Stop whining.
Heckman might be on to something. Oswald didn't like gifts either. Good lord.....MCLURE IS OSWALD!
I think what Kelly was really getting at was that John Brown and his wife attended the Iron Pigs, presumably for free, and if the Ordinance isn’t going to be enforced, why have it ?
Tricia M’s pig the mascot for the triple AAA team ?.
Keegan's profession is a school nurse and her husband is a retired school administrator. Zillow estimates their 4,200+ sq. foot home at a value at $684,200. Sounds like they have more disposable income than the average LV resident. Boo-hoo, get a grip, lady.
It’s very simple: just say no.
The Iron Pigs play in a stadium that was completely financed by Taxpayer dollars. They hold a number of events each year that the general public aren't invited to but elected officials and corporate officials are invited. One such event is being honored as a VETERAN of our armed forces. If you are also an elected official you are getting something not open to all members of the public. How about these County Executives, Commissioners and elected officials that have buildings, roads, bridges, parks, etc. named for them. C'mon, How about a little common sense here. What's the fun of being an elected official if you can't be bribed into donating millions of dollars to a project for a measly hot dog at a minor league baseball game?
Poor darlings - life is so difficult
Isn't Keegan Lamont's rubber stamp? This goes against your theory.
Crybabies and a waste of the people's and council time. While you a sitting there try to do something good for the people who elected you, instead of this petty whining. An embarrassment.
Kel Keegan is a better Commissioner than Lori Vargo Hafer.
Why did I ever vote for Kelly? What a disappointment. Maybe Reegan was onto something.
6:25, I saw a picture posted on Facebook of Lamont throwing out the first pitch on opening day.
Why have the ordinance if it's not enforceable? Keegan was also asking how do you prove that you paid for something and what the protocol for that is. I see FB pictures of all the Republicans at the fish fry with Lori Vargo Heffner and I wondered myself if they were there as guests or if they paid. An ordinance is only worth something if there is a way to enforce it.
Small town politics. If they really want high class percs and genuinely valuable sporting event freebies, they should run for Governor.
Where are the stats for Heckman's house, he was also mentioned in the post.
Pay your own way, you cheap and shady grifters. And don't accuse the Pigs of serving day-old hotdogs. That's a shitty thing to do. This is proof that we cannot possibly despise our elected officials enough. Something tells me Heckman would absolutely sell his vote for a hotdog. These codes of conduct exist EXACTLY to protect us from the Heckmans and Keegans of the world.
Serving in public office is a tough job and there are sacrifices made especially with regard to family. Evidenced through the recent attack on Josh Shapiro and family. I find no fault with the perks as long as they are not outright bribery.
If Kelly Keegan wanted to make an accusation that an elected Council member is improperly accepting gifts, she picked about the most stupid way she could to make the point. What she did instead was complain "it's too expensive" to pay her own way and Heckman really must want those day-old hot dogs at the Pigs games.
I don't care to know. This information is available about everyone, not just elected officials. Frankly, it could be too much information in this context.
She was probably unaware that she was going against him. If she was, then that would be a first. But as we now know, she was actually trying to slam GOP Council members in a bizarre way.
I've watched Keegans Tik Tok Videos, lets be honest, she isn't very bright.
Elected officials should be permitted to attend events to which they are invited, as this allows them to demonstrate support for local businesses, gain valuable insight into their operations for more informed policy making, and maintain a visible presence within the community. If an elected official has to pay for every single place they're invited to and bring their spouse it can become very expensive, so I can see Keegan's point. I don't see anything wrong with it as long as it's not bribery or an extravagant amount.
Some of the comments here act like Keegan is doing this for herself, it would actually pertain to the all the Commissioners.
The Iron Pigs play in Lehigh County but often ask for Northampton County money because they employ Northampton County residents.
That argument is ridiculous but for some reason when sports are involved, logic fails.
Kelly Keegan goes on Tik Tok to bash her fellow commissioners and then at the meetings, whines about how they’re all picking on her. John Goffredo called her out on it and for the first time ever I agreed with John Goffredo about something
I’ve yet to see Kelly Keegan make a credible argument about anything
Vlad -
Lots of people live in homes valued at 700K. Problem is, they are bound to a 550K mortgage! One of them loses a job . . . the place goes up for sale.
If Heckman can’t pony up the cash for an Iron Pigs game and a soda, he has bigger problems. Even some schools don’t like teachers receiving gifts because some come with strings attached.
Council reps get a stipend of $12 grand a year. Use that. Whiny, greedy brats.
All fairness to above stipend, I think it’s around 9,000/year or 10,000….either way ,
No one should be worrying about handouts or freebies on council. They wanted to be renamed commissioners , now they should act like one.
A person is as big as the things that bother him. Hot dog? Pretty small. I'm sorry his finances are so perilous. Best to watch him closely. Looks like he's scraping to get by.
I've known Ron a long time, warts and all. Many criticisms of him might be valid, but dishonesty isn't one of them.
Wait. The husband gets a big fat pension and she’s a school nurse and they can’t afford an Iron Pigs game? No wonder why we are running 2 billion dollar deficits, these people can’t manage money lol. Worry about running the county not how much free shit you can get!
This Keegan, it’s just one thing after another. Tic Tok. National politics injected into council business. Always whining about something. Now crying for free stuff. The only thing she doesn’t do is actually govern. She’s a joke!
KK. Wastes a lot of time on BS! It must have been a mistake, she will not go against McClure
1:38 -- It's $12,500 effective 1 Jan. 2024. Bill #808-2022. Introduced by Kerry L. Myers and Thomas A. Giovanni.
Did McClure throw out the first pitch in his customized Iron Pigs uniform top? Was that's for th e125,000 he gave the Iron Pigs owner, Or the 250000, that Zirinski wanted to give them.
1:38 -- It's $12,500 effective 1 Jan. 2024. Bill #808-2022. Introduced by Kerry L. Myers and Thomas A. Giovanni.
Giovanni voted for his own raise, and now he is running for executive, that he also voted a big fat raise this next term. Now i know why he vted the way he did and along with Meyers what a crew
Well. Our council president and controller were sitting at a free seat at Bethlehem’s State of the City event. Happened to the table of the a local architect being considered for the garage project.
I agree, There must be a total ban on all gifts of any kind. Since there is no law defining value, the answer is don't accept anything. If you do, it must be publicly disclosed w2iht an authenticated value. That would apply to all elected and appointed officials. Any deviation from this law would be reported to the District Attorney. For example, a pen can be plastic, or it can be rosewood over titanium with gold script. Or a vendor takes you to an event. No exclusions. I hope this is taken care of immediately.
He possesses as much hubris as the worst of them, though. Hotdogs? Give me a fricken break. Just to be certain, I hope someone is wearing a wire around him and Keegan.
Attending an event like a state of the city inside our own county is actually something a county council member might want to attend, despite the ungodly hour of most of these events and even if there is a cost bc it assists the council member in understanding that jurisdiction's needs as well as the needs of its residents. If you look at the gift ban ordinance or the Home Rule Charter restriction, this is no violation. Nor is it a violation to be seated with persons who seek county business bc they are not giving these elected officials anything.
12:18, A pen could be very valuable, but in that case, it would not be de minimis and would be a violation to accept it. But a $1 cup of coffee is de minimis.
8:43, Heckman is actually a very honest person and has the highest integrity. He is probably bothered by a gift ban bc it legislates what he already knows. I do not know Keegan on a personal level but I doubt she is dishonest. Based on the comments here, I think it was an obtuse attempt on her part to embarrass other council members without naming them. Under the gift ban, an elected official may attend an event if he is "representing the County in an official capacity, " but I think that is still bad optics.
11:13, I just learned that our Council President was not even at the event, so you are either lying or need to see an eye doctor.
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