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| Exec Lamont McClure (L) and Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron with 2020 Budget |
This is McClure's second budget as County Executive, and the second time he's held the line on taxes.
“A no tax increase budget for a second year in a row is an accomplishment Council can be proud of," McClure said in a news release issued immediately after the budget was adopted. "We’ve cut the budget nearly 6% without reducing vital services. We are investing $3 million to preserve farmland, environmentally sensitive land and investing in parks. In our fight against warehouse proliferation our administration has already invested $6 million. Finally, we are keeping our commitment to maintain Gracedale as a County-owned-and-operated facility and, once again, Gracedale will not require any money from the County’s general fund to operate.”
It may require no County contribution, but Gracedale is operating with a structural deficit, argued Council member John Cusick, the lone dissenter. He also objected to the inconsistent way the county manages hotel tax grants, but was strongly opposed to a 9.2% payhike for Gracedale Administrator Jennifer Stewart-King.
Under the adopted budget, her wages will jump from $102,291 to $111,704. Cusick said this is "insulting" to other Gracedale workers who will see three per cent raises or less. He added that Gracedale's rating remains unchanged and its census may be dropping.
Executive McClure countered that Stewart-King is actually underpaid compared to Administrators at nearby nursing homes, who are paid salaries ranging from $132,000 to $175,000. "We don't want to lose her, argued Council member Bill McGee. Council member Kevin Lott added that Stewart-King "came up through the ranks." Finally, Council member Lori Vargo-Heffner noted that Stewart-King has brought about positive changes at Gracedale, including electronic health records, and is turning morale around. She agreed that Gracedale's rating remains unchanged, but that's because the county nursing home will accept anyone. "We will not turn people away," she said.
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| Budget Administrator Doran J Hamann |
McClure is spending 5.6% less than he did last year. Part of the reason for that is because the county is no longer paying a triple net lease for its human services building, located in Bethlehem Tp. It now owns it. In addition, thanks to a refunding of county bonds, the annual debt service has dropped.
Though spending has been reduced, McClure wants to spend $2.6 million of the county's reserve, or rainy day, fund. This is to help pay for new voting machines mandated by Governor Tom Wolf's Department of State. The state is expected to reimburse the county around 60% of the cost.
McClure added the budget fully funds a "disastrous public private partnership" for the repair or replacement of 27 bridges. The private contractor has missed several milestone markers and the Executive anticipates "much debate and discussion" next year over what appears o be a stalled project.
The budget also includes a 2.5% raise for its career service, or nonunion workers. Union workers are paid in accordance with separate contracts, and most bargaining units will see a 2% raise next year.
This is the last budget prepared by Budget Administrator Doran J Hamann. This Lehigh University MBA retired in November after 40 years of service to Northampton County. He was nevertheless at last night's meeting as well as the budget hearings preceding the final vote.
Was the meeting an out of control shit show?
ReplyDeleteThe administration is going to miss Duran more than they know, he will be missed by many, Thank you Doran for all your years of service
ReplyDeleteDoran was great at his job! Well deserved retirement, Doran!
ReplyDeleteAll county workers that are non union should receive the same increase. So if the top end is 9.2% that is what the rate increase should be not 2.5%. When will the county truly value all their employees equally?
ReplyDeletewhen you go 5 years in a row with no tax increase, that means someone is playing games with taxpayers taxes paid to the county. The budgets go up ten million a year and the county still has 50 million dollars in reserve. Brown screwed the taxpayer into paying exorbitant tax increases while building a slush fund and then McClure is the benefactor of Browns scam on the taxpayer. McClure should have lowered taxes and eliminated the County's slush fund. We'll remember this issue at election time.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDeletewhen you go 5 years in a row with no tax increase, that means someone is playing games with taxpayers taxes paid to the county. The budgets go up ten million a year and the county still has 50 million dollars in reserve. Brown screwed the taxpayer into paying exorbitant tax increases while building a slush fund and then McClure is the benefactor of Browns scam on the taxpayer. McClure should have lowered taxes and eliminated the County's slush fund. We'll remember this issue at election time.
December 6, 2019 at 9:10 AM
it was 9 years the last time without a tax increase all the way until Brown and Phillips got into office on the TEA party train, then they raised your taxes
when you go 5 years in a row with no tax increase, that means someone is playing games with taxpayers taxes paid to the county. The budgets go up ten million a year and the county still has 50 million dollars in reserve. Brown screwed the taxpayer into paying exorbitant tax increases while building a slush fund and then McClure is the benefactor of Browns scam on the taxpayer. McClure should have lowered taxes and eliminated the County's slush fund. We'll remember this issue at election time."
ReplyDeletethis is the same whackadoodle who would be complaining, should his/her taxes go up incrementally and ever-so-slightly every year for 5 years.
Barron is smiling like a career trough slopping, hack partisan who just scored a big raise from an even bigger hack. They disgust me. It was only a few short years ago when Barron was traipsing around in his skirt while threatening private employers in the county, when he was stealing time while supposedly on the county clock. He's a model for what honest and honorable people should never be. And he'll be the first to wonder why politicians are despised worse than rickets and anal fissures. Disgraceful POS.
ReplyDelete"The tax rate will remain 11.8 mills, where it's been for the past five years. A home assessed at $75,000 will receive a tax bill next year for $885."
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting information but it tends to make individual tax payers think spending has not gone up or down.
Does anyone publish the total taxes collected each of the five years so that we can see how much tax spending increased or decreased over the five years where millage was not raised?
Anon 5:07, Watch the video. The meeting went smooth and the council got everything done without a any problems. The complaining is silly. If you can do better run for office. The council prez kept things moving. some people are just born whiners.
ReplyDeleteThe previous budgets are available online, and from them, you can answer your own question without making others do your work.
ReplyDeleteNorthampton County employees are grossly underpaid. Their counterparts in Lehigh and Bucks County make anywhere from 5000 to 12000 more a year for the same jobs. It is not only county policy but part of the home rule charter to have salary studies done every two years. This has not been done for two decades now. Previous administrations and council have done nothing to address violating their own charter and policies! Yet we will hear political BS that the county worker is it's most valued asset. Only if you are in McClure's good ole boy/girl club! Total discrimination and disrespect to all rank and file and other administrators and supervisors. Clueless to morale and ow to run county government.
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