Standing behind a podium next to the organ and piano at Gracedale's pristine chapel, where a preacher would ordinarily be delivering a homily, Executive Lamont McClure may have answered the prayers of many county taxpayers yesterday. No tax increase has been proposed in his eighth and final budget as Northampton County Executive. Before a throng that included his entire cabinet, county council members, the press and curious Gracedale workers, McClure delivered a financial sermon. Fiscal Director Steve Barron acted as altar boy, genuflecting now and then. This crowd also included McClure's successor next year, which will be either Controller Tara Zrinski or Council member Tom Giovanni.
You can see the budget here.
It's a $503.6 million spending backage, about7.3% less than in 2025. As required by the Home Rule Charter, it is a balanced budget. Total spending may not exceed revenue.
It maintains the same tax rate as this year. If you're a county taxpayer, this means that the current 10.8 mill tax rate will remain the same. A home assessed at $75,000 will receive a tax bill for $810.
Open Space. - McClure will continue the county's investment in open space and farmland preservation. His administration has spent $23 million on open space during his time in office, and the county has preserved 20,000 acres of actual working farmland.
Gracedale. - While county government has no obligation to support a nursing home, and few counties are left that do, McClure has always argued - both as Council member and later as Executive - that it is a moral obligation. He stated that Gracedale will "again" operate in 2026 with no contribution from the county's general fund, but Gracedale did require a $9.9 million contribution in 2024 and another $15 million from the county in 2023. The 2023 payment was from federal funding to replace revenue lost during COVID. McClure said that Gracedale has implement an aggressive plan to reduce the county's reliance on the use of agency nursing care. That practice is unsustainable long-term. The proposed budget still includes $20-25 million for agency nursing, but McClure stated that spending for agency nursing care could be down by $1-1.5 million by the end of this year. He predicts spending on agency nursing will drop $3.5 million in 2026.
Infrastructure. - In addition to an emphasis on open space and Gracedale, McClure's spending plan will use bond proceeds to address a badly needed parking deck at the courthouse campus as well as upgrades to 911 service.
Council Action. - McClure proposes, but County Council disposes. Council will conduct several lengthy budget hearings between now and mid-December before taking action. Under the Home Rule Charter, it can vote to reject the budget. But if it does, McClure's spending plan automatically goes into effect. Council does have the power to amend, but it must leave intact any payments scheduled for debt service and as no authority to modify the Executive's revenue estimates. If it wants to fund something, it has to find the money by making cuts elsewhere. It must take action by December 16.
That won't be easy. McClure will use $5 million from the general fund to balance the budget, leaving the county with just $1 million in unrestricted funds to start the year. This has been a sticking point with some members of County Council, who are more comfortable with larger fund balances. McClure has long eschewed the $50-60 million fund balances favored by previous executives, claiming that his approach is that of "lean efficient governments that are taxpayer friendly like ours."
The stabilization fund, commonly referred to as the rainy-day fund, will be $8.6 million, slightly above the minimum required by County Council. This has also been a sore spot with some Council members.
Furloughs. - McClure was asked how the county will respond with more furloughs if federal and state funding dries up because of budget stalemates.
McClure stated that a furlough notice was sent to SEIU because that is required under the county's collective bargaining agreement, but there are no immediate plans to furlough anyone. He added that "it's not the county's responsibility to fund human services. Human services is funded 80-100% by the state government." He said that if the county funded human services on its own, it would cost $30 million.
He stressed that, no matter what happens, the county has plans in place to make sure that the most vulnerable children and seniors are still seen. He then took a shot at SEIU, the union that represents human services caseworkers. He noted that the county had offered 13% in wage hikes, but SEIU threatened to strike. He said the most vulnerable will still be seen even though state senate Republicans are "deadbeats." He repeated this epithet several times, saying "the deadbeats need to pass the budget."
McClure said that the county has asked the state treasurer for as $10 million loan but wants it interest-free "because it's our money."
McClure has called furloughs an "option of last resort," but is also unwilling to invade the rainy-day fund or take out a loan with interest. So isn't the option of last resort actually the option of first resort?
He explained that the county has paused payments to human services providers, and this there is no need to consider furloughs until the end of the year, "which is why I said it is an option of last resort."
Deadbeat Republicans. - After calling state senate Republicans deadbeats on three separate occasions, McClure was asked whether he considers the Democrats on a federal level deadbeats as well because they have blocked a continuing resolution that would fund the federal government. He said that, if he were in Congress, he would want something in exchange for his vote, like extending the credit of the Affordable Care Act.
McClure was asked, "When you use terms like deadbeats, aren't you just continuing the divisive rhetoric that has caused problems that we have on a national and state level?" His response? "If you're going to melt because I called you a deadbeat, you're a snowflake."
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