For the 18th year in a row under Mayor Sal Panto, Easton on Wednesday evening adopted a no-tax-hike $71 million budget for next year. And Northampton County employees who work in Easton but live elsewhere will be happy to learn that this budget eliminates a controversial 1.95% commuter tax. The budget was adopted in a 6-0 vote following five budget hearings. Easton is no longer moderately distressed and thus was unable to impose a commuter tax. The property tax rate remains 24.95 mills. City residents still pay an earned income tax.
Voting to support the budget were Mayor Sal Panto (who is actually a voting member of City Council under their Home Rule Charter, Ken Brown, James Edinger, Frank Pintabone, Crystal Rose and Roger Ruggles.
Council member Taiba Sultana was absent for the adoption of the budget as well as a meeting the previous evening at which amendments were considered. She participated in two hearings by phone and was physically present for two of the five total budget hearings. She managed to attend a fundraiser for herself on Saturday night.
12 comments:
I bet no one missed the wicked witch of Easton absences. Other than her these guys know how to run a town.
Now, Easton should do the right thing and repay the commuter tax money they outright stole. Thieves are required to pay restitution. Panto will always be remembered as a thief who was also a mayor.
Good move that makes Easton more attractive for business. City Council can't raise property taxes because they've been up against the cap of 25 for a long time. Norco needs to reassess like Lehigh did recently.
So employees will get more money. What do the retirees get?
Easton, just like Lehigh County, Northampton County and just about every other Home Rule Municipality in Pennsylvania violated State laws by balancing their budgets while violating the Laws of the Commonwealth when it comes to treating their employees fairly. What a shame.
Speaking of which, I believe that same law was used to put a similar earned income tax hike on both Allentown residents and non-residents working in that city.
This was in response to the pension crisis 20 years ago, and non residents working in the city were forced to pay an additional .28% of their wages to Allentown, while residents were forced to pay an additional 1% above the regular rate! The distressed city provision was used to get around the city charter , which limits the earned income tax rate to only 1%.
Like Easton, I doubt that the city qualifies as distressed anymore and continuing with the higher rates is likely illegal.
But City Hall has an even greater addiction to spending now than it did two decades ago, and breaking the law seems to be accepted practice in Allentown government, so I expect little to change.
Hopefully someone takes the city to court over the matter. While it might not seem like much depending on one’s income, it adds up quickly and I’d be willing to bet that the distressed label (financially) was removed about a decade ago when the city leased its water system (to solve the pension crisis).
Your are an idiot. The commuter tax was allowed by the state for pension obligations funded under 70%. If the pensions funding falls below 70% the commuter tax will go back into effect
Taiba serves no purpose as an elected official other than collecting taxpayers $
The option to stay home and retired
Let’s see how Eastons budget does next year now that the Covid money from Washington is drying up. Sooner or later Easton will have a new mayor and all that dead wood sitting in Easton City Hall will be at risk of loosing their cushy jobs. Cabinet officials serve at the pleasure of the incoming mayor.
Crooks and leadership go hand in hand these days.
There will be a huge statue in Centre Square of Sal Panto. It will draw tourists from near and far.
All Hail Sal!
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