Can You Say Executive Bill Hansell?

Bill Hansell

On December 21, 2011, when appointed Commissioner Bill Hansell was saying good-bye to everyone, he made it pretty clear that his public service was at an end. Back to sunny Florida. Yet his is one of the four names in contention for Don Cunningham's old job as Lehigh County Executive. And he just might get it, too. Here's why.

Whenever I post about Hansell, I mention that he's around 700 years old and that he's written Penn's Treaty, among other things. While I'm exaggerating, the truth is that Hansell has been around local government his entire career and was involved in the drafting of Northampton County's Home Rule Charter. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone more qualified than he.

Except perhaps, for Dan McCarthy, another name in the mix. In addition to an 11-year stint as Commissioner, Dan has served as an assistant County Solicitor, Assistant Public Defender, Solicitor to Allentown's Parking Authority and to South Whitehall Township Authority.

Between Hansell and McCarthy, it's probably a coin toss. Both would be excellent County Executives.

But the Board appointing the Executive is 7 to 1 Republican. (Dan is disqualified from voting for a position in which he has a direct financial interest.) Chairman Brad Osborne, Tom Creighton and Percy Dougherty are more than willing to work with Democrats. But Vic Mazziotti, Scott Ott, Lisa Scheller and Mike Schware are so far to the right that it becomes difficult to find common ground. Their recent grumbling about CDBG grant money is certainly an example. So is their campaign against Dean Browning, who refused to bow to the whims of party boss Wayne Woodman.

It's unlikely this Board would vote for McCarthy. If they did, that would create a vacancy on the Board of Commissioners. This would have to be filled by a Democrat who resides in McCarthy's District. In effect, they would be appointing McCarthy Executive and appointing Geoff Brace as McCarthy's successor as a Commissioner.

Geoff would certainly run for the job, and would have the incumbent's advantage as well as the experience of having waged a campaign.

They can't give the job to Attorney Matt ("I give discounts to union members") Croslis, either. Although he has pledged he would only hold the Executive position as a caretaker, it's no secret that his covetous eyes are fixed on the DA's office. Do you really think they'll give Croslis a high profile job like Executive and help him become DA?

What about John Ingram, the fourth name under consideration? If they were completely political, they'd give him the job and smile as he runs the County into the ground. But they're just not that cynical.

So my money's on Hansell. In fact, I'm told he was approached by Republicans.