Below is a rundown on the 25 applicants for a seat on NorCo Council. I'm a bit surprised that John Cusick failed to apply. County Council will begin interviews this afternoon.
Paul Anthony - Business Manager and Financial Sec'y of IBEW Local 735. Has resided in Hanover Tp since 1988. Chairs the General Purpose Authority. IBEW has contributed heavily to Executive Lamont McClure.
Daniel Balcom - a Supervisor Service Director at United Continental Holdings. Palmer Tp Auditor. Veteran of US Navy, Submarine Fleet.
Vincent Caminneci - Easton resident attending Northampton Community College. Officer in Easton Democratic Party, but wants to work with both sides and reduce tension with Executive. Wants to enhance infrastructure and support for LANTA. Fluent in Spanish. Volunteer at Easton Farmer Market. Interned for both Easton Mayor and NorCo DA.
Melanie Christopher - An Independent, she has taught at Allentown School District since 2008. Prior to that, she was a legal secretary. She has owned a home in Palmer Tp since 2002 and participates in the Allentown Education Ass'n, PSEA and NEA.
Daniel Dewey - A former member of Tatamy Borough Council, Daniel is employed as a systems analyst with Informa. He has a BS in Computer Science from Kutztown and obtained an MBA in Marketing from PSU in May. He believes in tax incentives for manufacturing and research, but not warehouses. "We might live in the rust belt, but we are far from rusty." He volunteers as a scout leader and soccer coach.
Jerry Geake - was a Supervisor in Upper Mount Bethel Tp for 25 years, and has 8 years of experience as a shop supervisor at Auto Truck Transport. (I saw him in action at several Supervisor meetings, and there are few people who had a better command of township issues than he.)
Austin Haytko - Employed at Lafayette College since 2022, he is the Associate Director of Student Conduct. He has an Ed. D. from Concordia University Chicago.
David A Holland - A psychiatric nurse practitioner at Water Gap Wellness, David has experience as the Health Services Administrator of a 2,000-bed correctional facility in Miami. He is a NorCo Dem committee member and is on the board at St. Andrew's Nursery School in Easton.
Scott Hough - A Republican, Hough was the sole member of the NorCo Elections Commission to refuse to certify November's election results. Believe it or not, he is a professional roadie. He vows to provide a "true check and balance" on other government branches.
Deborah Hunter - She taught history at Northampton Area High School for 17 years, and still teaches adult ESL students. In addition to teaching degrees from Moravian College and ESU, she completed the NorCo Citizens Academy in 2012. She has served as a school director in Nazareth, was a member of NorCo's Gaming Board and was an Elections Commissioner who advocated for paper ballots. She also ran for County Council in 2009 & 2013. She clearly has an interest in county government.
Jerry Kott - "Maker is a term I use to describe my being - artist, designer and craftsperson - all part of the same landscape, but Maker has a broader stoke." His art exhibits are worldwide, and he has been recognized for his work in numerous publications, from Harper's Bazaar to numerous Japanese publications.
William Krzemien - William has dedicated 29 years of his life to law enforcement. He started out as a Hatboro police officer, spent two years as a Special Agent with the DEA and finished with 16 years as a Special Agent with the FBI. He currently is the Major Crimes Investigations Manager with Walgreens. He also has a degree in business management.
Gennaro Landi - Like Council President Lori Vargo Heffner, he is employed at St. Luke's. Like Council President Lori Vargo Heffner, he is a psychotherapist. He is a clinical coordinator for outpatient counseling. He is a graduate of both Muhlenberg (Bachelor's) and Chestnut Hill (Master's) Colleges.
Joseph W Lenzi - He is an active member of the NorCo Dem Committee since 2008 and has lived in the county for 25 years. He is employed as a sales manager at New Jersey Truck Part Sales. He has also worked for JP Mascaro and Nazareth Pallet.
Peter Melan. - a local government consultant, Peter recently stepped down from Easton City Council after 8 years. He ran for Mayor in 2023, but was defeated by incumbent Sal Panto. He has a Bachelor's degree from Moravian College (Management) and a Master's degree from Ohio University (Public Administration). He is a former County Council candidate.
Tricia Mezzacappa - She submitted an application and resume on January 9, but withdrew yesterday afternoon. "Please withdraw my application and shred the resume and cover letter. I do not wish my information to be distributed to the public."
Kerry Myers - He just stepped down from Council. He failed to gather enough signatures to get on the ballot as a Democrat. Then he switched parties and failed to get the Republican nomination as a write-in. During his stint as a member of Council, he publicly stated that he would refuse to follow orders from the Sheriff if he were a Deputy because it would put his life in danger. He wanted to place an employee of Congressperson Susan Wild on the Elections Commission during the year she ran for office. Though this nominee was obviously conflicted, she was black. He was also caught using his Twitter account to chat with bots he mistakenly thought were attractive women.
Ed Nelson - a former Upper Mount Bethel Tp Supervisor and Township Manager, Nelson was an ardent supporter of a tax break for a LERTA in his township. This is what likely cost him his job. You may know him as Santa Claus at the Short Hills Mall. He has also served as a security officer for Bangor Area School District. He has been an avid supporter of softball in his community, and founded the Township softball program. He is working on a college degree at ESU.
David O'Connell - a graduate of Boston College and Syracuse University, David's professional career was real estate management and sales. He served on Easton City Council from 2015-2023, but lost a recent bid for re-election. He remains heavily involved in the Easton community.
Sean Patrick O'Hearn. - a Marine and graduate of Liberty High School, O'Hearn spent 22 years as a firefighter in Bethlehem. Those guys put their lives on the line every time they answer a call, and he would be a valuable source for county issues related to emergency management.
Jayden Peters. - A lawyer, Peters graduated from Widener Law in 2022. He worked in the District Attorney's office from November 2022 until January 2023, doing appeals and forfeitures. He was also an intern for Judge Jennifer Sletvold in 2021 while still attending law school. "Northampton County is my home."
Annamarie Robertone - A PAR medical consultant, Robertone has a Master's degree in public health from East Stroudsburg U. She refers to herself as an "expert organizer and effective communicator, who is able to establish a positive and productive rapport with individuals from diverse backgrounds." Yet when she ran (unsuccessfully) for County Council, she refused to even acknowledge a questionnaire I sent to all the candidates. She also appeared at a Steve Lynch pep rally at Gracedale's campus, right before the election. She'd be polarizing in a Council that needs a little more civility.
Vanessa Williams - describes herself as a lifelong Democrat and a communications specialist with organizing experience focused on woman's rights. She is a graduate of York College and is currently a freelance public relations consultant.
Andrew "James" Wolbers - is the owner of Bitesize LLC and Ghost, DB, which apparently assist other businesses to ensure they are using the right technology. He lists numerous "city council" objectives, from affordable housing solutions to improving our regional business hub. He has mastered the language of corporatese, but fails to actually say anything.
65 comments:
No Dem party officials or party operatives. McClure owns the party and its people. So, they should be discounted immediately as they are nothing but more rubber stamps.
Hunter is a McClure plant..
Everyone wants a government job, pathetic.
O'Connell or O'Hearn.
Why do you keep saying the IBEW contributes money to McClure’s campaign ? Is it to suggest Anthony supports McClure’s policies and then would vote that way ? Which of McClure’s policies do you wish to see opposed ? Isn’t the premise of your logic faulty ? Wouldn’t it be McClure’s independence of thought and action we should be concerned about as the recipient, as opposed to Anthony’s as the putative contributor ?
Deborah Hunter voted for 12 property tax increases as a member of the Nazareth Area School Board. No Republican will vote for her.
Clearly Pektor has encouraged several of his cronies to apply to protect his tax break.
Norco is such a joke under mcclueless that I would recommend either Aunt Jemima or Uncle Ben. You could do worse, and it wouldn't hurt to have some real history.
Ed Nelson needs to be asked why he is no longer employed in Mt. Bethel.
Say NO to Paul Anthony ! I don’t want McClure cutting anymore property taxes. I want someone who will pledge to pay employees fairly.
We need Deb Hunter. McClure has cut the County budget to the bone. Deb will increase spending - especially on employees.
The Camaro kid sounds interesting. Maybe we need to give the youth a chance.
Paul Anthony is a gentleman and a scholar. LVH knows him well. I suspect LVH will nominate and vote for Mr. Anthony.
Ron Heckman is known for eloquence and sagacity. He is about to cement his legacy as the Greatest County Commissioner to ever live !
Appears there are some good candidates, but I hope Council will look beyond the polished resumes and look at possible ulterior motives and/or connections to people or issues. One bone to pick is that Kerry didn’t “step down,” rather he was not re-elected.
Best person to do the job did not even apply.....Sam Elias for Northampton County Council
Ron Heckman is known for eloquence and sagacity. He is about to cement his legacy as the Greatest County Commissioner to ever live !
Ron Heckman is a good Union man !
Lori Vargo-Heffner is a paragon of bi-partisan virtue. She’ll be voting for Paul Anthony who works very well with Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
Paul Anthony is courageous, intelligent. It’s amazing he’s stepping forward to enter this fray.
Deb Hunter is a great woman. She will raise taxes and pay employees fairly. That’s what we need. Not more of McClure’s faux conservative tax cutting and shrinking the size of government BS
I can’t wait to watch Conservative Republicans put a very liberal person on County Council.
Deborah Hunter favors the Employee Health Center. That’s good enough for me !
Watch out for Dave Holland. He’s a Liberal Tax and Spend Democrat.
Santa baby, hurry down the chimney tonight. Many are called. Few are chosen.
No Lynch Mobsters? Is Steve-o looking for something bigger?
Paul Anthony would be a great pick for the Republicans. He’s personally very conservative. He doesn’t even gamble. He’s on the Executive Board of the Chamber of Commerce and has a very good relationship with the Republican business community. And, if Lamont could jump, he’d say how how to Mr. Anthony.
Did Tricia Mezzacappa escape from a mental institution?
Although there are some excellent candidates to pick from, it is quite possible that none of the qualified will get to fill the vacancy. Since we don't see the complete resumes' of the candidates I won't comment any further. I just hope that the interviews are done by the entire Council/Commissioners and not by a committee of three persons.
Wow, it looks like all the hopefuls are very active today praising themselves, bunch of pathetic losers.Go get a real job.
"Why do you keep saying the IBEW contributes money to McClure’s campaign ?"
Other than when writing specifically about his campaign finance reports, I believe this is actually the first time I brought it up in connection with McClure as Exec. It's an important consideration. At one time, I thought having organized labor on county council would be good for the employees bc 2/3 of the county work force is union. McGee, Kraft and Lott have been good for the trade unions. They made sure that a responsible contractor ordinance was adopted. They are also pretty good when construction contracts are considered. But they've done nothing to improve wages or benefits for the county worker.
In Anthony's case, he's been a good chair of the GPA. He is likable and well prepared. But his connection to Lamont is obvious. He would be a fourth rubber stamp. Council would no longer be veto proof.
"Since we don't see the complete resumes' of the candidates I won't comment any further."
The complete resumes of each candidate were sent to me. I did not post them but summarized what I thought was relevant. The entire Council will have an opportunity to interview.
Where in the Home Rule Charter does it say "Most qualified"?
What does that mean anyway to you when you say it?
Someone that has been serving their community for years?
Someone who is a veteran, or just someone that Lori VH and John Brown decided on this Friday in their closed door meeting with Linda?
"Deborah Hunter favors the Employee Health Center. That’s good enough for me !"
Frankly, I don't think it's appropriate to even ask candidates how they'd vote on specific county issues. Hunter may or may not support a health center and I'd vote for her either because she is her own person. She will decide for herself. Neither Lamont nor LVH will control her. I say this bc she has stood up against McClure in the past. When she ran for Council, she failed to receive the endorsement of the Labor Council. That was Dertinger. She opposed the Express Vote XL when she was on the elections commission and insisted that other systems be demonstrated. I disagreed with her stance on that matter, but admired her independence and intelligence. Her stance cost her a position on the elections commission, but she did what she thought was right, not what people told her to do. That is the kind of person I want on Council. How she votes on a given issue is irrelevant to me.
"No Lynch Mobsters? Is Steve-o looking for something bigger?"
I do not recognize any of the self-appointed "We the People" characters that cling to Lynch.
"Which of McClure’s policies do you wish to see opposed ?"
As I stated, that is an irrelevant consideration when it comes to an appointment. The question is not specific policies, but independence. I would want a person who can think for himself or herself, not someone who will follow the bidding of Lamont, Ken Kraft or LVH.
I support most of McClure's policies, except when it comes to employee pay and his desire to control other agencies.
Kerry 'Chatbot' Myers would add some fireworks but nothing more. His sloppiness in gathering signatures should disqualify him in the eyes of Council. I doubt he stands a chance.
Mezzacappa? Really? Thankfully, she withdrew.
Someone commented on Holland. Anyone who has ever met him will vouch that he's a really nice guy. Maybe he's a 'tax and spend' type but maybe someone of his demeanor is what council needs.
Kott - an artist. Avoid at all costs. Stick to art, buddy.
Peter Melan is a good guy. I think he'd be a good fit on council.
O'Connell or O'Hearn."
Gotta' watch out for anyone whose name starts with "O'"
Tricia is the only Lynch creature and it looks like she wisely removed herself from consideration
Deb Hunter heartlessly sentenced Nazareth Area School District parents to a double-digit tax increase. She is despised because she despises working people. Pick anyone. But ask her to withdraw and GTFO. It's for the good of working people who aren't as well-heeled and heartless as Deb Hunter. She's Marie Antoinette with worse hair.
She is definitely completely insane
Oconnell’s city rejected him for city council. How come he can be on the county? Loser huh??
Do not discount Annamarie Robertone. She deserves a chance to show just how great she can be on council. She is a smart, organized woman who is a communicator who will investigate what’s brought to council and vote accordingly.
I’m sure they will pick Kerry Myers
The following are immediate no-gos for me: Vince Caminneci seems to be too much of a self-promoter and may work more for himself than the county. I can see him as someone always looking to his next gig. Jayden Peters is a NYC lawyer, it appears, so how much time will he have to devote to the county and its issues? Does he work remotely? Regardless, may be more a feather in his cap with his law firm than a “NC is my home” mentality. Kerry Myers had his chance. He should not be given another, unless it is by the voter.
Now, now Charles!
Reject all non-Os. It's time for an O. Don't let contempt for O'Hare prevent you from considering worthy Os. We elected Obama. It's time for a county level O.
Jerry Kott has a blogger blog, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Defacto Controller boy Barron has been hard at work on your blog.
Bernie what happens if no one can get the votes?
If no one can get the five votes needed by the end of January, any member of Council or any five registered voters can petition the court to make the appointment, and the court must appoint someone within 15 days after the petition is filed.
Be careful Bernie, if you don’t disagree with Lamont 100% we get to label you a rubber stamper as you do others.
Very surprised Sultana or her husband, Nadeem, didn't put in for this. I know Sultana is supposedly thinking of and/or is running against Bob Freeman, but in what world would that stop her from pushing for a different public office?
Thanks….you think that might happen
Our county commissars are paid too much. Compensation shouldn't have been raised to $10K. Look at all the applicants. At $5K, we'd still get more than enough. Supply and demand. Lower their salaries immediately.
Oh yea, Peter! Time to pay LMcClure back for the assistance he gave you when you tried for mayor
Great to see a strong list of qualified individuals. Hoping council will pick someone who rounds out the current skill set or lack thereof.
No one will know the answer until the “special”meetings are held at Deitzi’s or Bravehearts with each gang of three, or four, deciding who they want, and then the predetermined voting begins. Transparency, Fairness, and Sunshine Law be damned!! This Council can’t handle the truth!
Technically the vacancy occurs on the 2nd of January when Zrinski takes office and the office of the Controller is deemed vacant. She relinquishes the position of County Commissioner. She takes office January 2nd as Controller and she cannot hold two offices at the same time. If you include the 2nd of January as day one of the vacancy, the Commissioners have until January 31 to make the appointment. Since they meet on February 1, February 1, that could be considered the 31st day. Are they going to have a special meeting to make the appointment or violate the Charter by making the appointment on February 1, 2024 which could be considered one day late. How about your Charter "experts" chiming in on this one? What do you think Bernie? If they make the appointment one day late, is it legal, or will the courts make the appointment?
@9:38am
She’s not crazy enough to be admitted to a mental institution, but if she was already in one there ain't no way she’s getting out
Peter M ……..a good guy…..didn’t he have the code guy remove and fine for Panto signs in private yards while running for mayor?
solicitor made him put signs back on city time? ..
That was Trishy Mezzacrazy. She paniked & bolted. Musta been called to a higher power at Lynch Mob Leaders Sweet Sweet Suga Baby Boxing Gym.
She actually was institutionalized briefly after the threatened both O'Hara and former Judge Baratta
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Our county commissars are paid too much. Compensation shouldn't have been raised to $10K. Look at all the applicants. At $5K, we'd still get more than enough. Supply and demand. Lower their salaries immediately.
January 17, 2024 at 4:16 PM
It's 12k a year now, should be 25k a year
Detzi’s! Do your research!
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