Nazareth Forced to Return $27K Road Grant to Gaming Authority

In 2012, Nazareth certainly had its fair share of capital needs. Numerous roads always need work. Main street is like a lunar landscape, especially around the circle. There's always a demand for new police and road crew vehicles. A new pool was in the works. With all these pressing needs, Nazareth Borough Council unanimously decided to seek $50,000 in uncommitted Northampton County gaming funds to build a road in Upper Nazareth, outside of the Borough. Does this make any sense at all?

I've looked at the documents filed with the County, pursuant to a Right-to-Know request. Get this. This project was actually a $270,000 project. Nazareth would kick in the balance for a road that would be extended partially outside its own boundaries.

Nazareth never got the $50,000 it sought. But it was awarded $27,500 to extend G.W. Stoudt Boulevard from from its current terminus at the Highway Garage to intersect with Gracedale Avenue. In the application, Nazareth makes clear that the grant was for the benefit of Nazareth Ambulance, not borough residents. With this road extension, response time to Gracedale would improve. So would response time to the western portion of Upper Nazareth.

Undoubtedly, this would save lives. But should borough residents be footing the bill to help out Gracedale and Upper Nazareth residents when they have their own needs?

The reason Nazareth Borough Council ignored its own residents is because borough officials have divided loyalties. Its 2012 nonprofit tax return, the most recent one on record, listed the Mayor, two Council members, the Borough Solicitor and the Borough Secretary among its eight board members.

Under the terms of the grant, the project had to be finished by October 2013. Nazareth sought and received a one-year extension because, for a time, it was unclear whether the County would hire Nazareth Ambulance for nonemergency medical transports.In fact, since Nazareth was operating under an old contract and different proposals were being sought, it really was foolhardy to even seek this grant.

Nazareth sought and got another extension, but work on the road extension never started.

I predicted well over a year ago that Nazareth would eventually be forced to return the dough, and that's what has happened. It quietly sent a check to the County last month.

This is the gang that claims it's going to straighten out the police department by making it even more top heavy. Deputy Chief randy Miller is going to be promoted to Commissioner over a three-man police department that still includes a Chief and two full-time officers. Instead of firing Chief Thomas Trachta, who thus far has cost the Borough about a half million in civil rights litigation with more on the way, they're keeping him and putting him on the streets during middle shifts. They'll be bossing around two full-time officers.