Yesterday, NorCo Exec Lamont McClure proposed a $502 million spending plan (you can see it here) for 2025. It maintains the same tax rate as this year. If you're a county taxpayer, this means that the current 10.8 mill tax rate will remain the same. A home assessed at $75,000 will receive a tax bill for $810.
Under our Home Rule Charter, McClure must submit a balanced budget. Total proposed spending may not exceed anticipated revenue. Also, if County Council decides to reject the budget, McClure's spending plan automatically goes into effect. Council does have the power to amend, but it must leave intact any payments scheduled for debt service and it has no authority to modify the Executive's revenue estimates. If it wants to fund something, it has to find the money by making cuts elsewhere. It must take action by December 16.
McClure's $502 million spending plan is $51 million less (9.3%) than it was last year. Interestingly, only $104.4 million of the county's budget (20.9%) comes from real estate taxes. The rest comes from intergovernmental grants, fees and fines, investment income and fund balance.
Open Space: In his Budget Message, which he read in the above video, McClure notes that he has set aside $3 million for open space, something he has done every year. He believes this is one way that the county can slow down warehouse proliferation
Employee health center: Noting a rise in healthcare costs, he made a pitch again for a voluntary employee health center, which he believes would save money for both taxpayers and county workers. So far, County Council has been opposed to this idea. "We need to do a better job of talking about that," said McClure. He stressed it would save the county between $5-10 million over 5 years. "I don't know why you wouldn't want to do that."
Emergency stabilization fund: This is also known as the rainy-day fund, and County Council requires a minimum balance of 5% of the total expenditures expected over the course of the year. The county has set aside $8.1 million, or 5.6% of anticipated expenditures.
Gracedale: He noted that no county funds will be needed to keep Gracedale operational. He said the nursing home's CMS rating, based on a star system, has increased and that census is going up.
New Parking Garage and county building needed: People who park at the courthouse's garage know that it is beginning to collapse. Oxides leaking from the garage have stained people's cars and chunks of concrete have caused damage. On top of that, the county needs its own elections office and more space for several departments. County Council has thus far refused to take up a $63 million bond ordinance that will enable the county to complete these projects, even though the county's borrowing capacity is a half billion dollars.
McClure said the parking garage "needs to be replaced now. There are chunks of it falling down. I'm not quite sure why we're not acting on that. I think we've had the bond in front of Council six times ... and still Council has taken no action. We know from security professionals that [the elections office] needs to all be in one place. We're doing it in four different rooms in this complex right now, and in a new building we could have elections all in one place, all transparent and accessible to everyone who needs to interface with them without having to come through the labyrinth they have to come through now to get to the elections division." He added that people are working out of closets at Human Services and that the Controller's building, which is on its last legs, lacks handicapped accessibility. He added it's too expensive to rent, as some Council members have suggested.
Employee costs: Northampton County has budgeted for1,913 full and part-time employees, although McClure said yesterday that the total number right now is closer to 1,700. Career service (nonunion) workers are getting a step in their PayScale, which translates to a 4.5% raise. Union salaries have also increased in accordance with collective bargaining agreements with the county's 11 unions. Yet the total cost of salaries and benefits has decreased 1.4%. In 2024, $166.2 million was set aside for salaries and benefits. But McClure has set aside $163.9 million, over $2 million less in 2025. All but one union (county detectives) are under contract.
This might be because the county is asking employees to pay more for healthcare. The county contribution to healthcare and dental is projected to be $705,600 less this year than it was in 2024.
Passenger Rail: McClure stated he is probably the biggest advocate of passenger rail in the Lehigh Valley but has set aside no money for it.
Thank God!
17 comments:
Unfortunately, McClure has no respect for county council and county council does not trust him. I am told his combative style of governing is a problem for most of council who see him as hard to work with. Hence his need for bought rubber stamps.
If someone gets hurt in that garage, or the County gets sued over the Controller’s Office, that responsibility squarely falls on Jeff Corpora.
Read Vargo Hefner’s ignorant comments in what’s left of the Call. It’s clear she’s bent on joining the Rs to obstruct McClure’s agenda.
Admitting yourself as one who is an advocate for passenger rail in the L.V. is akin to one admitting to have scored 43 on an I.Q. test.
No mention of monies to buy chain to collectively pull council's heads out of their .....
You’re told that by the MAGA Republicans on Council and their tool Lori Van Heffner ? I know Ron Heckman doesn’t feel this way.
They definitely shouldn’t trust Lamont. Tax cuts and balanced budgets. Paying employees. Meeting priorities. Yep, they should stand in the way of everything he wants to do so John Brown can reinstitute co-insurance.
It's pretty weak... the amount of people who take advantage of Bernie's open/anonymous commenting policy on this blog. Keyboard warriors who dare not put their "skills" to use creating their own blog(s). Why hide behind the "anonymous mask"? You're so brilliant. Make yourself known. Miserable, glass-half-empty types who like to vent. It's the guys with big guns and small.... brains. I don't always agree with BOH, but I salute the transparency. I salute the democratic style of allowing everyone to cry their tears, voice their opinions, and feel better about themselves. Man up.
Ok then... someone woke up with sand in their panties.
Hey Bernie , have you heard anything about retirees getting a COLA?
"He noted that no county funds will be needed to keep Gracedale operational."
He said the same thing last year but his own budget document indicates a projected $4.84 million contribution in 2024.
Your name?
County Council has thus far refused to take up a $63 million bond ordinance.
As interest rates are expected to fall over the next year due to fed cuts, they are better off waiting.
The rate cut is already priced into the bond market. It was priced in even before the Fed reduced rates. County Council would know that if it bothered to ask the bond people one, just one question, during the dozen times they came to Council.
10:17, You are looking at p. 156 of the proposed budget. You will notice a transfer in $14.9 million in 2023. That was NOT a county contribution but was instead CARES Act $. In 2024, at the time that the budget was being prepared, there was, in fact a projected county contribution of $4.8 million. That was based on an assumed census of 430. Since that time, the census has increased to 450, and this means an additional $1 M in revenue per month from the time of that initial projection. So it is believed that when the books close at the end of the year, Gracedale will actually have a small profit. It is something to watch. Gracedale will make some $, but it is not there to generate revenue.
I have been watching the meetings for over two years and I have never seen McClure be disrespectful to the County Council. I'd like to know specific examples.
Rolling the dice is not a good idea with tax payer money. Interest rates might be "expected" to decrease, but supplies and labor will only increase, so county council should vote Yes on that and get it done.
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