Northampton County Executive-Elect Tara Zrinski yesterday announced the formation of a transition committee that she calls the "start of a new era for county government built on transparency, accountability, and inclusive community engagement."
“Elections mark the beginning of change, but real leadership is about thoughtfully and transparently shaping what comes next,” Zrinski said. “Residents expect innovative ideas backed by a careful transition and strong follow‑through on the promises they supported this fall.”
Members include a mix of experienced leaders like former Exec Glenn Reibman as well as participants who have never held a major role in county government. They include Brandon Faust, Nazareth School Board; Anita Erdős Forrester, Professor at Northampton Community College; Margie DeRenzis, retired Supervisor at Colonial Intermediate Unit 20; and Steve Goudsouzian, a well-respected attorney and Solicitor for the Controller’s Office.
She has identified seven targeted areas:
● Healthy Families & Human Services: Public health, social services, and family support.
● Housing for All: Affordable housing, homelessness, and development policy.
● Economic Development & Jobs: Small business support, workforce training, and job access.
● Infrastructure & Capital Projects: Roads, public works, and other capital projects.
● Public Safety & Justice: Policing, emergency services, and criminal justice reform.
● Opportunity for All: Racial, economic, gender, and disability inclusion practices.
● Environmental Planning and Sustainability: Land use, open space preservation, infrastructure, and county operations.
County government is very limited. It exists primarily to run elections, 911, build county bridges and provide the court services that handle the back end of crime as well as civil matters. It provides no policing. It builds no roads. There is no health department. It does provide for human services like child protective services, but this function is largely paid for by the state. It does maintain a nursing home but is one of only about six or seven counties that still have a nursing home.
Having said that, I have no problem with exploring how a county government can help with many other issues that transcend municipal boundaries.
I would suggest that Zrinski's biggest problem, and it's one she can fix, is a fractured relationship with both County Council and employees. Hopefully she would include county council members and current employees to help guide a smooth transition and make her aware of what the "boots on the ground" see.
Nice political statement, probably generated from AI. But let's be honest, she's in over her head. She inherits a major pile of trouble, a nursing home disaster and an inadequate budget. No Offense TZ, but she does have a major set of balls. I wish her well for the county's sake. (side note: I have secured 4 years' worth of plastic straws).
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty clear to me (and most of us) that you don't wish her well at all.
DeleteMcClure left her with a heavy lift. She also has some new ambitious politicos on county council. They will want to make a mark. I hope some are familiar with the services the county provides. Some go off in the weeds with things that are out there. Trouble is if she wants to save Gracedale and fix employee problems she needs money and the county has no spendable money. So how will she do that.
ReplyDeleteAlso, her Team is sorely missing any newly relevant county council people experience. Reibman has been gone for over twenty years. Unlike Siegal, I don't see many labor people. His team is basically all labor. Surprised they aren't on hers, given the money they plowed into her campaign.
I believe the transition team plans to recruit people with relevant county experience.
DeleteThe concept of fresh input is good, but the question is : How were these advisors chosen? If they are not familiar with Home Rule Charter governance, or the county’s many departments and functions, then it becomes just another friends of Tara committee. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteThere's not as much a problem between employees and council as there is between employees and McClure. He's not disliked. He's hated with every fiber of their being. He's also too old and too moderate. His time has passed.
ReplyDeleteNobody likes the boss. With the exception of Marty Bechtel and Gene Hartzell, I have never seen a county exec who was widely liked while in office. Even Gene experienced complaints. After execs leave office, people generally start thinking more highly of them. This will be the case with McClure.
DeleteIt’s been established that she’s loud, bullish, and self promoting …,,,,the important question will be does she understand how to navigate among her peers and offer palatable answers to the unions, the Gracedale problems, the Human Services needs, and ensuring a budget that works and is balanced. It remains to be seen.
DeleteShe's put more work into assembling her transition team alone than she has as county controller. Add that to the eight months of campaigning, a trip to New Orleans, a myriad of other events and rallies that have nothing to do with being a county controller and we have a grand thief who stole pay for months using her position as front. Fraud.
ReplyDeleteI agree , she's a fraud! If she had opponents that actually campaigned in her last two elections, we wouldn't be in this mess. She's incompetent & petulent- which was illustrated in her Pa. House race against Flood. Shame on Cusick & Giovanni!
DeleteIt’s going to be interesting for sure lol.
DeleteSteve Goudsouzian is an excellent choice. He's also the Township Solicitor for Lower Saucon Township and has to keep those 5 nut jobs in line. Hopefully, he can do that with Executive Zrinski. It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.
ReplyDeleteI hope #3 on her list also includes COUNTY PERSONNEL. The morale of the employees in Northampton County is a disgrace and the proof is in the turnover rate of employees who abandon their jobs after only a short time of employment. If you work for the Courts you are paid fairly well. If you work anywhere else in the County we are treated like crap. Why isn't someone who truly cares about our employees on the transition team? Performance starts with morale.
ReplyDeleteGood point, she’s too busy using code language to appease her liberal base. Northampton county treats their employees like shit. Address it and fix it.
DeleteAll I can say... I hope the County survives.
ReplyDeleteThis should surprise no one but I agree that Tara will be the one who will be surprised when she is finally told what her job is as executive. Hope she can return her robe and crown.
ReplyDelete● Opportunity for All: Racial, economic, gender, and disability inclusion practices.
ReplyDeleteHello to Tabia the NEW county council person that wasn't elected, but will be heard over and over and over again. Sal owes Tara a special kind of thank you
First, check your spelling. Next, check the police reports on the correctly spelled person of interest, then find out how she has helped our community….grade her and you F on all.
DeleteThe Executive works for the taxpayers, not the staff.
ReplyDeleteAny county employee who is part of a bargaining unit and is unhappy with pay should take that up with their union.
If your job is that awful, quit. Just don’t expect a pension somewhere else.
We can see how fast she forgot about the employees. Have meetings telling them they are important and at the top of her list. We'll not in the top 7. Hell probably not the top 25.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame!!!
Here we go again another 4 years of being pooped on... But buy more farms and pay for tampons and pads in the men's room.
she does not owe you a meeting, stop being a twit, grow a pair and get another job. I suppose you want her to hold your hand and sing kumbaya during your lunch hour?
DeleteNorthampton County employees have been treated pretty good. This thought that they should be paid the same as Lehigh County employees because it’s the Lehigh Valley shows how mislead they are. Norco and Lehigh are not the same. Norco is closer to Carbon and Monroe and I’m sure they are higher paid than there are.
DeleteBet you can count on one hand how many times, as a councilman or controller, she left her office to visit Gracedale, Human Resources, Voter Registration office, or even the county maintenance services office.
DeleteHer "Opportunities for All" policy area is a bit like Josh Siegels newest committee: Local Resilience & Response to Trump Administration Committee that is headed up by radical socialist Jon Irons of course.
ReplyDeleteAt least she doesn’t have a Trump Resistance Committee like Siegel does. Crazy!
ReplyDeleteOnce again, a new committee to make suggestions without any past personal investment in county council. Usiness. Did they attend meetings? Did they read any council communication? Have they met with the many divisions to listen to concerns? We will wait and see.
ReplyDeleteHope she cleans house in HR department, HR did what ever Mclure and his side kick Charlie Tuna said to do. HR was to protect the employees but durring his time there many people got let go if they did not agree with Charlie Tuna. Also the Public Works Director and his side kick his assistant both don't know how to run their department.
ReplyDeleteI have news for you no matter the executive. No matter the HR, staff the executive controls what they do
DeleteYou need a refresher course on County
DeleteGovernment and Home Rule Charter guidelines.
She will be hard pressed to sweep clean and start with new and inexperienced workers and directors….thats exactly what mcCure did with Premier nursing home management at Gracedale and we ALl know how that worked out!
DeleteBoth the new democratic socialist county executives list all sorts of things. How about sticking to real county stuff. WE had enough big cardboard check photo bombs with McClure. Too bad there are no Phil Armstrong's anymore. Zirinski is loaded with people who want to use county government to fulfill their wish lists. Why a transition team when all McClures directors have paid to stay on their jobs?
ReplyDeleteZrinski did the right thing with a Transition Committee. She gets to meet with all the department heads and then will make a decision if they stay or go. If the department heads want to keep their jobs they will be honest and upfront with her which means she gets to hit the ground running. McClure has buried her with under funded programs and a huge tax increase in her first year. The Gracedale mess is another example of hidden problems. McClure was not very nice in what he did. She can't fix it in 30 days but it's better finding out now than on day one as executive.
DeleteSorry, you are giving the free get out of jail card to Zirinsky, while forgetting who did McClures bidding, not only while she was on council, but during her short stint as controller. It’s easy to inadvertently leave out facts .
DeleteHow about opportunities for all based on skill and qualification ? I'm so tired of the diversity issue. Treat everyone with respect and reward those who work hard and are excellent and committed to their job. No one deserves opportunity above another unless they are qualified. It should never be based on anything else.
ReplyDeleteMost directors are staying, stop making up things. They were not at her victory party hugging and laughing for nothing. Also, money poured into her fund. Why a huge transition team? She is not the President or Governor. Keep it simple. Most of the things they plan to talk about than the team leaders have no real understanding of county government. It's all on LV news site. Silly.
ReplyDeleteThis new regime will be composed of historically challenged county electeds with little to no
ReplyDeletegrasp of governance and a huge gaping lack of hands on knowledge of day to day county requirements. Popcorn and twizzlers please..
This is serious. There will be suggestions from those who have never set foot in any council meetings, budget discussions, or county programs. Committees will be formed and tasked with solving problems that were perpetuated for years with no resolve. The proposed goal list , or points of light, purposely is setting up a public county reality show for us to view and be impressed and distracted by, while taxes go up, the budget bleeds out, and a beloved nursing home shuttered. We don’t need another reality show, we need good government practices.
ReplyDelete