Tax Hike - This Is What Happens When Upper Mount Bethel Hires Santa Claus

During a Special Meeting on a Friday night in November, and with only four out of five Supervisors available, Santa Claus was appointed as Upper Mount Bethel Township Manager. His gift to Township residents. A tax hike. And guess what? It's just the first of many for years to come. Ho! Ho! Ho! LehighValleyLive has part of the story about the first of what looks like several tax increases. Let me give you the rest of the story.

Santa Claus is actually a jolly old fellow named Eddie Nelson.  He's worked as a clerk at a beer distributor and as a crossing guard. But his meal ticket is his gig as Santa Claus every Winter. He has claimed it's very lucrative.

Nelson was set to make his annual pilgrimage to Florida's mall when Upper Mount Bethel's Manager, Rick Fisher, suddenly resigned. Rick, who has considerable experience in municipal government, was pulling down $72k. The Manager who preceded Rick, Bob Cartright, also had lots of municipal experience and worked as both Manager and Zoning Officer for a pittance of $65k until he became ill.

When Rick resigned, there were several applicants for the job. They include former NorCo Executive John Brown, who was also Bangor's Mayor. As an elected official, he had his shortcomings. But as a Manager, he might have been a good thing.

Another applicant was Rich Young, who ran both Allentown and Northampton County's Department of Public Works. Under him, the trains always ran on time.

A third applicant was from out-of-state and inexperienced, but had all kinds of degrees in Public Administration.

And then there was Santa.

No one will deny he's a jolly old fellow, but he knows nothing about municipal government. He was the least qualified candidate. But for some inexplicable reason, that's who three Supervisors - John Bermingham, David Due and Robert Teel - decided to hire. At that bizarre Friday night meeting in November, Santa and Mrs. Claus were in the audience. Nelson knew he was getting the job. In fact, he had already canceled his lucrative Santa contract.

Bermingham took care to schedule this Special Meeting on a night he knew that Supervisor Martin Pinter, who opposed Nelson, was unavailable. Supervisor Craig DeFranco, who also opposed Nelson, was excluded from a round robin in which the remaining three chose Nelson in apparent violation of the state Sunshine Act. Of course, they ratified their decision in an open meeting so it would be pointless to challenge it.

During his interview, Santa said he wanted $95k, far more than his predecessors. But he said  he needed no health benefits because he has Medicare.

When he was hired, it was at a salary of $85k. Apparently, the three amigos talked him down from his original demand.

Not long after this hire, DeFranco began noticing checks made out to Nelson for about $2,000. He would learn that, in addition to his $85k salary, he is getting around $2k per month in cash to make up for what a health package would cost. So Santa is actually making over $100k per year.

The first thing he did as Manager? Take courses? Call previous Managers?

Nah, he went on sick leave.

 Incidentally, Supervisors also gave a secretary a $20k raise.

As you might have guessed, Upper Mount Bethel has been deficit spending for years. Its cash surplus at the end of 2019 was just $144k. It should be repaving ten percent of its roads every year, but is unable to afford more than four.

It's going broke.

In the meantime, there's a group of citizens who want to "Keep Upper Mount Bethel Rural." In addition to opposing any form of economic development, they also oppose a much needed sewer line along a portion of Rte 611. Never mind that homeowners there would no longer have to worry about a well located just five away from the septic tank, or that they would have their septic tanks in their basement.

They like drinking shit-flavored water. It shows in their selection of Township Manager.

Ho. Ho. Ho.