In his final days as a member of NorCo Council, Ron Heckman tried something he had never done before. He proposed a one-mill tax hike. Despite whatever he had been led to believe, his motion died for lack of a second. An amended budget that with a few exceptions is identical to Executive Lamont McClure's proposed spending plan, was adopted by a vote of 7 to 2. The amended budget was supported by Lori Vargo Heffner, Kelly Keegan, Jeff Corpora, Jeff Warren, Tom Giovanni, John Brown and Ron Heckman. Voting No were Ken Kraft and John Goffredo.
The biggest amendment was for the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. It was budgeted to receive $625,000 in McClure's proposal but wanted an additional $461,000. Council President Vargo Heffner suggested that the county provide $365,000. This is less than the planning agency wanted but would make NorCo's contribution the same as Lehigh County's contribution. This amendment passed by a vote of 6 to 3, with Kelly Keegan, Ken Kraft and Jeff Warren being the dissenters.
The discussion that preceded this vote was pretty much along the same lines as during the budget amendment hearing last week. Ken Kraft was strongly opposed, claiming that LVPC already has a huge surplus.
Outgoing Exec McClure was pleased at the adoption of the budget. "“From the beginning, I promised to end the over-taxation of the people of Northampton County,” he said in a news release. “Eight straight years without a tax increase, and a tax cut that returned $25 million to our residents, shows that we kept that promise.” He added that, since 1961, NorCo has never gone eight years without a tax hike.
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