Holland on What a Provisional II License Means at Gracedale

Dave Holland, a nurse practitioner and nursing professor at East Stroudsburg University, was also an administrator at Gracedale and at Monroe County's nursing home. He knows about medical care. He also knows about nursing homes. Last year, Northampton County voters fortunately elected him to an at-large seat on Northampton County Council. Since that time, his insights and attempts to provide advice about the home have been strangely ignored by Executive Tara Zrinski, who prefers listening to an administrator whose background is therapeutic recreation. While she does zumba classes, the home is clearly and objectively declining. It was placed in a Provisional I license last year. Despite claims that things were improving, the state Department of Health has downgraded Gracedale's license to Provisional II.  

When did this happen? When was Administrator Morton informed? When was Executive Zrinski informed? We do not have the answers to these questions, but the public itself was in the dark until earlier this week. 

The most important question is what does a Provisional II license mean? Despite attempts by Council President Ken Kraft to muzzle Holland at last night's meeting, he explained in very clear terms precisely what options are now available to the state Department of Health, and it's pretty bad. Here's what Holland said: 

If we don't resolve our noncompliance status, we're not going to have to worry about the continuum of care because we won't be able to have the license to do so.

So what do I mean by that?

So, in a provisional license status, every day that goes by that we're not in compliance, there are remedies that are available to the Department of Health, which they have not instituted yet, but they certainly could at any day.

That includes denial of new admissions to the facility.

If we're denied admissions to the facility, we're not allowed to carry out the mission of Gracedale, which I'm going to read to you.

Gracedale is a skilled nursing facility that serves the medically challenged and financially indigent residents of Northampton County and surrounding communities. The mission of the facility is to rehabilitate its residents to their highest practical level of medical, social, and psychosocial well-being.

If we get into a situation because of noncompliance, fair or not, that's the situation we're in from the Department of Health.

We're not gonna' be able to meet that mission because we may be denied admission at some point.

Second to that, the other option is to deny payment.

And again, we will not be able to comply with our mission to the residents of Northampton County if we're going to be denied payment for Medicaid or Medicaid residents.

There's a process where the agreement to provide payment for Medicare Medicaid can start, they can start that process to nullify and separate from that agreement based on noncompliance.

So the other options are temporary management.

If we don't get into compliance within a certain period of time, they can basically deem we are no longer capable of managing it ourselves and institute temporary management.

Zrinski Attempts to Minimize Gracedale's Problems

At last night's meeting of Northampton County Council, Executive Tara Zrinski spoke twice about Gracedale, both during courtesy of the floor and in her Executive report.  In hir first oration, she spoke about the good care the nursing facility provided to her mother, something she has done several times in the past. She never mentioned that this care was during a time when Jennifer Stewart King, and not Michelle Morton, was the Administrator. In her Exec report, she tried very hard to paint the home in a positive light. She noted that there were 14 citations in 2025, but only 4 "technical" violations this year. She did not point out that we're not even halfway through the year. She said the root cause of these problems go back several years. She said none of the citations this year reflect a failure to provide care, which is utter nonsense. In fact, the poor staffing is precisely why the home was cited in January and again in May.  I'd also say that a failure to follow doctor's orders, especially concerning medications and blood sugar levels, is indicative of outright negligence. 

She did finally mention Gracedale's downgrade from a Provisional I to a Provisional II license. She believes the root cause was the county's admission process, under which some risky residents were accepted. She said the home is now more selective in who it accepts. 

I'd like to know what the DOH has been at Gracedale 27 times since Michelle Morton was hired as Administrator. It's true that most of these complaints are unfounded, but the sheer number suggests to me that employees, residents and family are unhappy. This reflects on Morton's leadership. 

I'd like to know why, after being repeatedly cited for falling below the state minimum nursing care requirements, Gracedale was cited for that again and with a provisional license. Amazingly, Morton claimed this shortage was caused by call offs. Why on earth would the home fail to plan for call offs? 

I'd like to know how Gracedale, whose very mission is to take care of people, could ignore doctor's orders. 

We got answers to none of these questions because as soon as she was done with her Exec report, Zrinski asked for an Exec session to discuss "personnel."  And accompanying her into the back room were Morton and Human Services Director Sue Wandalowski, who is supposed to have nothing to do with Gracedale. That's the whole point of the new positions sought by Zrinski. No doubt, the purpose of the exec session was to scapegoat someone for problems that have grown worse since Michelle Morton arrived. 

Finally, I'd look to know when Zrinski was apprised of the downgrade to Provisional II. It certainly belies her previous reports. 

NorCo's Human Relations Comm'n Members Confirmed

At last night's meeting, Northampton County Council confirmed the following appointments to the newly established Human Relations Comm'n. 

Sylvia Keverenge Bethlehem, PA 18015 

Grace Crampsie Smith Bethlehem, PA 18018 

Peter Hristofas Easton, PA 18042 

Victoria Opthof-Cordaro Bethlehem, PA 18015 

Jessica Teel Sadler Wind Gap, PA 18091 

Marc Singer Easton, PA 18042 

Patricia Baranowski Wind Gap, PA 18091 

Reginald Belon Easton, PA 18042 

Thomas Raymond Dubreuil Bethlehem, PA 18020 

Arlene Ifill-Leon Easton, PA 18042 

Elena Kenney Bethlehem, PA 18018 

Ron Moyer Easton, PA 18042

I omitted precise mailing addresses. 

The vote was 8-0, with Council member Nadeem Qayyum abstaining (He said "absent"). Qayyum argued that the appointments should consist of "protected" classes, even though Council Solicitor Matt Deschler explained that we all can be considered a "protected" class, depending  on the circumstances. He wanted to know, as he did in a committee meeting the previous day, how many of the appointments were persons "of color." He asked Executive Tara Zrinski whether she went to churches and temples to recruit candidates, something she said she did not do or feel obliged to do. She said her picks were as diverse a group as she could possibly choose. 

NorCo Council Confirms New Fiscal Director, but at a Lower Pay Than Proposed by Executive

 At last night's meeting, Northampton County Council voted to approve the appointment of Deb Watlington as the county's new Fiscal Director, but at a lower starting salary than what had been proposed by Executive Tara Zrinski. 

Zrinski's appointment would start Watlington at a salary of $125,108, and with benefits would give her a total compensation package of $164,923. 

While she agreed with the appointment, Council member Lori Vargo Heffner said that the starting salary should be $109,632 and proposed confirming the appointment at the lower rate. Her motion to amend was passed by a 5-4 vote, The Yes votes were from Vargo Heffner, Theresa Fadem, Tom Giovanni, Nadeem Qayyum and Dave Holland. Voting No were Council members Ken Kraft, Kelly Keegan, Jason Boulette, and Jeff Warren. 

At this lower rate of $109,632, Watlington's appointment was approved in a 6-3 vote. Voting yes were Vargo Heffner, Giovanni, Fadem, Holland, Boulette and Kraft. Voting No were Keegan, Warren and Qayyum. 

Before the vote, County Solicitor Melissa Rudas advised that the Executive has the right to hire a Fiscal Director at any salary she chooses, and that reducing the pay was an "exercise in futility." Vargo Heffner strongly disagreed, stating that Council approves the budget and corresponding salaries. 

This issue has arisen before. When he was Executive, John Brown knocked his Administrator's salary up by three steps without getting permission from County Council. Then Controller Steve Barron noted this increase violated Career Service Regulations (Section 4.01) that require County Council to approve any pay raise that bumps anyone up more than one step in the payscale.  The Home Rule Charter does specifically provide that County Council sets the wages (Section 202(11).

While Zrinski has the authority to award a one-step increase right now, it's unclear to me what authority she has to set a higher salary. 

Zrinski made clear in her introduction of Watlington that a higher salary was necessary to lure Watlington, a CPA, from Lehigh. So I fail to understand why Council went with a lower compensation package for someone who already is taking a pay cut. 

Zrinski Declines to Specify Race, Religion or Gender Identity of Human Relations Comm'n Members

During yesterday's NorCo Council Personnel Committee hearing, attended by five Council members*, a list of 13 nominations for the newly established Human Relations Commission was considered. Since I can only go by phonetic spelling of some of these hopefuls, I'll forego naming them until tomorrow. Things were going smoothly until member Nadeem Qayyum decided he had some questions. 

Qayyum, who has a very annoying habit of refusing to use his mike, decided he wanted to know how many of these selections are persons of color and wanted to know details like religion, etc. 

Zrinski, who is increasingly getting irritated by questions that Qayyum has written out in advance because his English skills are so subpar, said she declines "to specifically identify who is ... who is a person of color, who is Muslim, who is gay, who's trans. I am supposed to identify those individuals on this list? I would think that that is almost discriminatory."

I'd say it is definitely discriminatory.

"For the record, I need to ask these questions," explained Qayyum.

"Sure, sure, sure, sure, sure sure," responded Zrinski. "For the record, I'm not going to specifically identify people."

In the desire to be inclusive, we often make the mistake of being exclusive. 

_____

* This meeting was attended by Council members Nadeem Qayyum, Jason Boulette, Tom Giovanni, Dave Holland and Kelly Keegan.  

Pa DOH Downgrades Gracedale's License

Back in early May, NorCo Exec Tara Zrinski had good news about Gracedale, reporting that state Department of Health officials were very positive during the annual survey. Based on what she said, I expected to see that Gracedale's provisional license would be restored to regular status during a recent state licensure visit. Instead, that license has been downgraded from Provisional I to Provisional II. Though the county has been aware of this relegation, it has failed to make any public mention of it during any of the meetings since that time. This is not transparency. This is sweeping a problem under the rug and hoping no one notices. 

My understanding is that, at some point, Medicaid will refuse to reimburse nursing homes. This facility continues to move in the wrong direction. 

Zrinski Nominates a CPA as NorCo's New Fiscal Affairs Director

Northampton County Executive has nominated Deborah Watlington, a CPA, as the county's new Director of Fiscal Affairs. She was introduced at yesterday's Personnel Committee and is set for confirmation by County Council this evening. If confirmed, the county will finally have a Director of Fiscal Affairs for the first time since October of last year. 

Watlington, who as a degree in accounting and an MBA from Lehigh U, has been employed by Lehigh for the past 16 years.  She's worked in accounting for 30 years. She is currently Senior Financial Analyst in the Provost Office. 

She is one of 10 applicants for the job.  "I believe she will be an asset to the county throughout my tenure," said Zrinski. 

Qayyum, who earlier had reservations about the Human Relations Comm'n appointments and the salaries for Continuum of Care directors, had written questions about whether Watlington had direct government financial experience, but conceded she had good qualifications. 

He also complained about the proposed salary of $125,108. Zrinski responded that this salary is actually lower than what she was getting at Lehigh. His numerous objections are hard to report because he consistently fails to use his mike.

Finally, Council member Kelly Keegan interjected that "it seems like we're badgering a woman we're lucky to get." 

For once, I agree with her. 

A Trip Around the LV Blogosphere

For a time, the Lehigh Valley Blogosphere was pretty much a desert. Aside from Michael Molivinsky and your truly, few others were willing tor had the time to provide a local perspective. Thanks in part to Substack, that has been changing in recent years. 

Molovinsky on Allentown is an old fart who focuses primarily on Allentown, as his blog title suggests, although he does occasionally roam into other issues. Now if you read this guy, you might think he really must be some obnoxious asshole. But if you meet him in person, you'll soon realize you were right. Especially if you are employed by The Morning Call. Actually, Michael and I are friends. This is a matter of necessity because everyone else hates us. 

Lehigh Valley News Briefs is an excellent place for in-depth stories on what really is going on in our bizarre non-profit community, where entities like DaVinci, the Bethlehem Food Co-op and Lehigh Valley Public Media routinely con local officials into doling out our tax dollars for ventures that go nowhere. Publisher Jeff Ward is an accomplished alumnus of Bloomberg News. 

Armchair Lehigh Valley is made up of journalists and editors who at one time or another worked for the dailies. These folks have a lot of institutional knowledge about the Lehigh Valley that unfortunately is missing from what's left of our local newspapers. They do a great job of covering local campaigns and elections. Armchair's latest entry is a report about a complaint filed against Lead Left, a PAC that poured $1.7 million into the Pa.07 Congressional primary in an effort to keep Bob Brooks or Ryan Crosswell from getting the Democratic nod. 

Comm'r Ron Beitler is actually a Facebook page that gives us all a bird's eye view of what is happening in Lehigh County. Beitler is a thoughtful conservative who re-registered as an Independent recently and speaks out very persuasively on issues like Mark Pinsley's so-called "wealth tax". 

Upper Nazareth Township Meetings, penned by Becky Bartlett, is a no-nonsense news site that focuses solely on what is happening in Upper Nazareth. I envy Becky because, without any training, she can tell a story without government without opinion, the way that I and others just need to do. 

Apocalypse Vibes is written by Rich Wilkins, who at one time worked on Congressional races all over the country. He has a much better insight into congressional races than most of us. 

Allentown Truth is all about the inner workings of Allentown, written from the perspective of an anonymous person who really detests Mayor Matt Tuerk. His latest is that the City had a Blues, Brew and BBQ event at which no one showed. I don't know if that's true because I wasn't there. But if nobody was there, that should include the anonymous blogger who claimed no one was there, which would mean at least he was there.  

LVCI offers the perspective of a local Everyman who sees a strange world whiz by. Sometimes he laughs. Sometimes he cries. 

If there are other local blogs out there worth reading, please let us know in the comments. 

Pinsley's So Called Wealth Tax Under Fire

Blogger's Note: Below is an op-ed written by Lehigh County Comm'r Ron Beitler (Independent), Lehigh County Comm'r Antonio Pineda (Republican) and Phil Armstrong, former Lehigh County Exec, Democrat. 

Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley has proposed recycling an antiquated county intangible personal property tax by branding it a “wealth tax.” Once levied by counties in Pennsylvania, it disappeared 25 years ago for many reasons: legal challenges, administrative problems and broad acknowledgement that it was bad policy.

Most concerning, the current label of a “wealth tax” is a sales pitch. Political marketing. It makes the proposal sound narrow, targeted and aimed only at billionaires. That is not accurate.

This is not a tax exclusively on the ultra wealthy or the “Elon Musks” of the world. Plain and simple, it's a tax on personal financial assets. It hits common savings tools and certain small business ownership interests. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds and non-retirement brokerage accounts are all specifically named in the Controller’s report. The enabling law also raises unresolved questions about other useful family, retirement and estate planning tools, including custodial brokerage accounts, 529 college accounts and private mortgages held as assets. These are all tools working families, seniors, parents saving for their children and small business owners use to make responsible plans for their futures. As presented, this tax has no minimum income threshold. And adding one later may only deepen the legal problem because the 1913 law does not clearly give the County the authority to create one.

This is all part of the central problem. The public is being sold a narrow tax on extreme wealth, but the actual proposal reaches everyone. Repeating a misleading label does not change what the tax actually does nor does it change who it hurts.

This is not a Republican, Democratic or Independent concern. That is why the three of us, from different political backgrounds, agree on this point: Lehigh County should not revive a legally risky tax on savings, common investment tools and small businesses.

While some might dance around what this really is, others are more direct, describing this kind of saving as “hoarding wealth.” We strongly disagree. For generations of Lehigh Valley families, including people who worked hard their entire lives at places like Mack, Bethlehem Steel and other local employers, saving was not "hoarding wealth". These were not millionaires hiding money. They were working families taking responsibility for their futures, supporting children, driving modest cars, fixing what they could and planning ahead so they would not have to depend on the government later. That is basic financial discipline. We should encourage it, not punish it.

At a time when credit card debt is near record highs, younger folks struggle to save or invest, family sustaining jobs are harder to find, and basic costs keep rising, the answer is not to punish folks who manage to save. We should want people to work, save, invest and build security, not tax the same dollars a second or even third time because they planned responsibly.

The proposal also hits small businesses at exactly the wrong time.

Supporters claim owner-operated small businesses would be excluded, but Mr. Pinsley’s own report admits very common small business structures are actually the source of the majority of revenue. These are not exotic structures used only by the wealthy. They are common ways small businesses, especially family businesses, are organized.

Small business owners routinely work 50, 60 or more hours a week under pressures most never see: payroll, rent, insurance, utilities, supplies, repairs, maintenance, taxes, compliance, permitting, staffing and constant uncertainty.

For most small business “wealth” is not cash sitting in a bank account. It's tied up in equipment, inventory, buildings, debt, invoices and the business itself. On paper, a business owner may look successful. But in reality, many are fighting every month to make payroll, cover bills and keep the doors open, yet still find time and resources to sponsor youth teams, support fundraisers, and donate to fire companies, schools, churches, nonprofits and community events. This is exactly the wrong environment to pile another tax on small business owners and could force them to either cut back on their community support, or not grow their business.

The legal risk is also serious.

If this tax were clearly legal and clean, the county would not need outside tax counsel, as recommended by the Controller in his report, to find a constitutional workaround. This alone should raise alarms. This sounds less like confidence in the law and more like shopping for a legal theory to support the outcome they want. Passing a constitutionally suspect tax does not just invite a lawsuit. It would send taxpayers the bill.

Lehigh County should focus on controlling costs, delivering core services and encouraging economic growth.

This is not a bold new idea. It's a recycled bad idea that every county that once had it walked away from. Taxing savings discourages saving. Taxing investment discourages investment. Taxing small business ownership discourages growth, expansion, and job creation.

Do not be fooled. This proposal is not a so-called wealth tax. It is an asset tax. A broad tax on common savings tools and small businesses that punishes responsible behavior, creates huge legal risk and adds another burden at exactly the wrong time. Lehigh County should reject it clearly, publicly and permanently.

Commissioner Ron W. Beitler, Independent

Commissioner Antonio Pineda, Republican

Phil Armstrong, former Lehigh County Executive, Democrat

Gracedale - Four Deficiencies, Including Failure to Meet State Nursing Care Minimum ... Again

Since the beginning of this year, Gracedale nursing home has done its best to establish a very positive social media presence. It has highlighted Valentine Day, Mardi Gras, its executive chef, volunteers, a food truck festival, its employees and tuition assistance program and even its very own prom night. Without question, there are good things to say about the home and the people who work there. NorCo Exec Tara Zrinski has said she plans to unveil her long-range plans for the facility at the next Human Services Committee. The fact remains, however, that it still has issues. The home has been the subject of eight visits from the state DOH this year. On two of these inspections, Gracedale was cited for deficiencies.

The most recent published survey (they appear online 41 days after the event) was on May 1. The state DOH was there for four reasons: a Medicare and Medicaid Recertification; state licensing; civil rights compliance, and one complaint. Unfortunately, several deficiencies were found. (You can read them yourself).

Two residents were victims of Chemical Restraints. - Many nursing home residents suffer from dementia. Others may need antianxiety medication at times. But when it is prescribed, it must stop after 14 days unless the resident is re-evaluated by a physician. Two residents were being given these medications beyond the 14-day limit. 

The home failed to implement doctor's orders for four residents. -  These include a failure to take blood stool samples, failure to notify physician of dropping blood sugar as requested; administering blood pressure medication despite physician order that it be skipped if resident's heartbeat is too low; and failure to follow a doctor's order to provide a resident with a certain kind of boot that prevents bed sores. 

Inaccurate assessments - In at least two instances, nursing staff failed properly to document a resident's condition. In one case, nurses inaccurately reported that a resident had no falls when notes reflect he did. In another, a nurse incorrectly reported that a resident was receiving dialysis. 

Failure to provide minimum required nursing care. - Gracedale has been cited repeatedly over its failure to meet the state minimum nursing care standard, including earlier this year. It blew it again over one of 22 das reviewed. 

Zrinski has previously stated on several occasions that Administrator Michelle Morton is doing a good job. The facts tell a different story. 

Will this negatively impact Gracedale's effort to have its provisional license recertified to regular? Online, the home is still listed as having only a provisional, but as previously stated, there is a 41-day lag between real time and what appears online. 

Brooks Bash of Volunteer Firefighters Catches Attention of Washington Free Beacon

Like it or not, and I don't, Bob Brooks is the Democratic nominee for the Pa. 07 Congressional District, which includes Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon and a small part of Monroe County. Incumbent Republican Ryan Mackenzie, a Trump acolyte, lust know he's in trouble. But leave it to my party and the experts at the DCCC to pour in enough money to ensure that the shadiest of four Democrats has been proclaimed the party's standard bearer. Mackenzie is wasting no time in making sure that the entire Congressional district knows all about Brooks before November. He's getting some free help from the right-wing Washington Free Beacon, which purports to cover "the enemies of freedom the way the mainstream won't." 

The Beacon's Chuck Ross has some up with something I failed to cover during the primary, and that is Brooks' revulsion at professional firefighters who dare act as volunteer firefighters in their own communities. Ross points to angry social media posts from Brooks, calling them "scabs" and "shitbags." 

This country currently faces a severe decline in volunteer firefighters. The number of volunteers has declined about 25% over the past two decades, while emergency calls have increased 70%, particularly in the MidAtlantic.  The shortage is so serious that Lehigh and Northampton Counties both offer real estate tax rebates to volunteer firefighters. 

I understand that Brooks may have no issue with volunteer firefighters so long as they stay out of a municipality covered by a professional and unionized fire department. But does that make sense. The Lehigh Valley's three cities have all had major fires over the years during which volunteer firefighters from other municipalities assist. The most recent example of this is at an Easton hotel. Should a professional Easton or Bethlehem firefighter refuse to assist if he is also a volunteer at Plainfield's fire department and that company responds?  Should they just stand by and watch a building burn? 

Union solidarity is one thing. Public safety should trump it. 

A Little More About That NorCo Naturalization Ceremony

New Citizen with Exec Tara Zrisnki and Judges Dally and Clark

I closed out last week by telling you about a naturalization ceremony for 29 new citizens at Jacobsburg State Park. Northampton County has since that time published pictures of that happy event.

Naturalization ceremonies have always been a big deal in NorCo, but having the oath administered at Jacobsburg is a first.  The county's photographs show that President Judge Craig Dally and Judge Jeremy Clark did the honors. Mike Sanatanasto was there for the Bar Association. There was a cool-looking color guard, and some of the new citizens worse costumes that included Lady Liberty and the American (not Philadelphia) Eagle. 

OK, enough nice stuff. 

NorCo Conducts Naturalization Ceremony at Jacobnsburg

From Pa Courts: Northampton County and the Northampton County Bar Association held a Naturalization Ceremony Thursday at Jacobsburg State Park Environmental Education Center, 400 Belfast Road, Nazareth.

 The ceremony was held outdoors, directly across the street from the Environmental Education Center at Jacobsburg State Park.

 

Northampton County President Judge Craig A. Dally presided over the ceremony, during which 29 individuals took the Oath of Allegiance and officially became United States citizens.

 

“Today we celebrated one of the most meaningful responsibilities of the court,” President Judge Craig A. Dally said. “Welcoming new citizens is a powerful reminder of the values that unite us and the opportunities that citizenship provides.”

 

“This ceremony is a hallmark not only for the new citizens, but for our entire community,” said Michael A. Santanasto, president of the Northampton County Bar Association. “We are proud to support and recognize this important milestone.”

 

A reception sponsored by the Northampton County Bar Association was held immediately following the ceremony under the pavilion for all attendees.

Blogger's Note: Naturalization ceremonies are among the most positive experiences I've ever had inside a courtroom. They are happy occasions, usually involving entire families from so many different cultures. There is usually music before the event and refreshments later. 

 

A Prescient Message From Jefferson

Years before the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson penned an essay he called A Summary View of the Rights of British America. He did so while eating fresh cucumbers and lettuce. After finishing, he was on his way to deliver it in Williamsburg, but those cukes got to him and he had to suspend his trip and spend most of the next day or so in the loo. But his essay continued its trip and once it arrived, it became the equivalent of what today would be called a viral tweet. No less a person than George Washington spent 3 shillings for several copies. Though I care little for Jefferson the man, his words are another story. They ring just as true today as they did ion 1774. 

Let those flatter who fear; it is not an American art. To give praise which is not due might be well from the venal, but would ill beseem those who are asserting the rights of human nature. They know, and will therefore say, that kings are the servants, not the proprietors of the people. ... The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest. Only aim to do your duty, and mankind will give you credit where you fail. 

A good leader surrounds himself with those willing to speak truth to power, not lemmings.  

Ron Beitler Proposes "Resign to Run" Law in Lehigh County

I often tell my evil Republican brother that the term "thinking conservative" is an oxymoron. But Lehigh County Commissioner Ron Beitler, a conservative-leaning independent, has proven me wrong. He has proposed a referendum under which voters could decide whether a county official who decides to run for office should first be required to resign. 

Here's what Beitler said on his Facebook page:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: 𝗶𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁.

First, NO ONE is forcing anyone to run for higher office. It's a choice. Public office should not become a taxpayer-funded campaign platform for a career in politics. (staff time, communications, facilities etc)

I also don’t think politicians should be the ones deciding this question. Whether you support or not... 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀. And this legislation allows that. Voters, through referendum, would decide what their expectations are for elected County officials whose salaries and benefits they pay.

According to WFMZTV-69, Beitler's proposal is opposed by Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley, who is running for the state senate. He argued that such a requirement would mean that only the wealthy would be able to run for office and added that voters who dislike the practice of elected officials running for another office could simply refuse to vote for the candidate. 

Resign-to-run laws exist in one form or another in six states. I find the practice of running for two incompatible offices simultaneously to be particularly offensive. This often happens when a State Rep. decides to run for a state row office or the state senate and his current job at the same time. I do refuse to vote for such candidates. 

On a county level, such a law makes sense if the office seeker holds a full-time county position like Executive, Controller, Coroner, etc. Running a campaign for another office might result in an official neglecting the job he is paid to perform. I personally have no issue with a part-time elected official like a Commissioner who decides to run for something else.   

Rahm Emanuel Two Word Description of Dems - Weak and Woke

When Rahm Emanuel first began working for Bill Clinton, he claims he was 6'2". By the time he was done working for both Clinton and Barqack Obama, he said his height had dropped to 5'8". That's because he refused to be the sycophant that usually surround those in power. Anyone with executive authority needs someone to tell him when he's full of shit. Emanuel was that person, and he has a message for Democrats if any of us is listening, There is little doubt that we will win big in the midterms. But that's primarily because Trump has been so bad, not that we've been much better. We can still be dismissed with two words - weak and woke. That's no recipe for long-term success. 

A few days ago, Emmanuel sat down for an interview with Katie Couric's Next Question podcast. He repeated nearly every criticism of Democrats that he leveled when he sat down with Bari Weiss nearly a year ago. While he concedes that it's unlikely he'll emerge as a Presidential front-runner, he hopes that he can move Democrats in a direction that focuses on pragmatism and centrism. 

While Trump is focused on putting his mug on a $250 bill and is using his office to enrich himself and his family, 50% of our students are unable to read at grade level. He will leave office $4 billion richer than he was when he went in. So he's convinced that voters will hold Trump and the GOP accountable in November. But, and this is a big BUT, the worst thing Democrats could do is hold days of impeachment hearings that eventually go nowhere and enable Trump to play victim. Instead of that, Democrats need to return to issues that matter:

We did things that were really ridiculous. We let a border get out of control. When it came to public safety, we talked about defunding the police. When it came to an ethnic group, we called them Latinx and nobody else in that group ever identified themselves that way. And then rather than worry about classroom excellence, we were worried about bathroom and locker room access. So [voters] were angry. And look at all the polling that's out there. Look at all the focus groups out there. Democrats tell you, "Stop talking about these cultural issues, conveying that these are priority issues when we should be talking about raising the minimum wage, expanding healthcare uh opportunities and health care and cost control, making sure people have money for their retirement." I mean, the other day as an education, I said two things. 

One, if you do two years of national service, we'll give them money for a down payment on a home. I believe if you give something back to the country, we're going to start you off on the journey of the American dream. Amy [his wife] and I have we're empty nesters with a second home. I'm getting a mortgage deduction. It's crazy. And you have families that can't get a mortgage. They can't get a down payment. That's not how this is supposed to work. 

Second, people are going into the poor house to give their kids a college education. So I said allow them to get a three-year degree, not a four-year degree. Cambridge and Oxford do it. You make less than $200,000, tuition is free. Tuition doesn't go up higher than inflation by the year. Stop putting the family behind the eightball and all they get is an invoice. 

The whole premise of the American dream, the home, retirement, education, healthcare, every one of those pieces is broken. And our party should spend every day laser focused on restoring not only the access, but the confidence in the premise that you and I grew up with, which is when you and I said get ahead, we're getting ahead of our parents. We're going to leave mom and dad in the dust. Now you're lucky if you get out of their basement.

Emanuel believes Democrats got occupied by the college faculty lounge. He gave as an example a college professor who said health care workers are part of the "caring economy," and this expression was then coopted by Biden, but not the actual healthcare workers. 

Now, some professor at some university came up with this term and a bunch of knuckleheads in Washington adopted it and were popularizing it. And I and nobody, like the term "Latinx" ever ever in America used it. Nobody except for two non-tenured professors working at getting tenured. The caring kind of no, it's called a nurse. It's called a home healthcare worker. But we were using terms that didn't refer to anybody. I'll give you a classic out of Joe Biden's last state of the union. He got up there and somewhere in the speech when he went off the text used the term illegal immigrant. He got barked at by a bunch of Washington interest groups and the next day he said I misspoke. I should have said undocumented. I don't know. People understood what he meant. 35:2135 minutes, 21 seconds. And we had the, as I said, the cultural police arrested you without your Miranda rights even being read to you.

Of all the Democratic presidential hopefuls, my own thinking aligns most closely with that of Emanuel. So obviously, he has no chance. 

All About Easton's Safe Harbor

Easton's Safe Harbor is both a drop-in center and homeless shelter for adults who've fallen on hard times. If you think that its clients consist solely of drug addicts or alcoholics, think again. Sarah Stehlin, Director of Development at the shelter, told NorCo Council last week that five of its current residents are seniors who lost everything as a result of online scam artists. She mentioned that while providing an overview of the facility. 

Safe Harbor is actually the product of Lafayette students and local church leaders concerned about the homeless problem. Back in the '80s, students were actually letting them stay in fraternity basements until the school caught wind of what was happening. Students then staged a camp-in at Easton's circle, and Easton decided to establish the building at 536 Bushkill Street for shelter use. A meal center was first, in 1990, followed by the shelter in 1992. 

Currently, there's a 50-bed shelter, 28 of which are set aside for women. The meal-center operates five days a week. There are also plans (and funds) in place for a renovation that will include apartments. 

In 2016, Safe Harbor noted that it had a lot of repeat clients In response, the Arise program was started to address the root cause of whatever it was the caused a person to become homeless. Individuals are assigned case managers and a curriculum of 66 foundational life skills covering things like budgeting. good tenant skills and healthy relationships. They are also required to perform community service. 

After doing this for 10 years, Stehling told County Council that individuals who complete the Arise program are 81% less likely to re-enter a shelter program.

NorCo Dems Dump Matt Munsey in Favor of the Black Baron

Matt Munsey first became Chair of Northampton County Dems in a 76-63 putsch against Walt Garvin. Since that time, his focus has often been on the more extreme elements of the party while ignoring more traditional and moderate candidates. He undercut candidates like Sal Panto and was accused of texting talking points to his challenger in a Mayoral contest.  He collaborated with the GOP to undermine public confidence in voting equipment. He has actually even "forgotten" to email endorsement meeting notices to candidates seeking office. In contravention of party rules, he operated without a treasurer for at least three years. In short, he has played games and has often been more of a hindrance than a helpful hand. Yet he has somehow survived votes of No Confidence, criticism from elected officials like Lamont McClure and attempts to force him out of office.

Last night, his luck ran out. By a 78-53 vote, Matt Musey lost his seat as Chair to Baron Vanderburg.

I first met Baron at a candidates' night hosted by the NAACP on Easton's south side. I drank too much coffee and really had to go to the bathroom badly. He was kind enough to escort me through all the caverns and tunnels to a place where I could finally use the facilities.

I had no idea I was being helped by none other than the Black Baron. 

Vanderburg made history when he was sworn in as Palmer Tp's first ever black supervisor. He has also served as an Easton School Board Director. 

Zrinski Keeps NorCo Council Informed About Specific Departments

At last week's meeting of NorCo Council, Executive Tara Zrinski continued the trend she started of delivering detailed reports about what specifically is happening in various departments. I already advised you what she had to say about the election as well as her responses to questions about the parking deck replacement. Here's a summary of what she had to say. 

Parking Deck. - Zrinski, who walked the Washington Street hill last week, acknowledged, "It wasn't easy." I've previously told you about a contract for a lease at Shiloh Baptist Church on Easton's south side and shuttle service to and from the courthouse. I've also told you that the county is negotiating a lease for additional parking at St. Anthony. In addition to what she reported last week, she told me yesterday that the county was in discussions for parking with Easton, but "the closest parking garage would be totally cost prohibitive, costing thousands of dollars per employee, per month. A gravel lot on Lehigh Drive was proposed, but the City was unable to guarantee 150 spots. 

Human Relations Comm'n. - Members have been selected and nominations will be presented at the next County Council Personnel Committee meeting. 

Gracedale. - Zrinski will present her "continuum of care" concept at the next Human Services committee meeting. 

GLP-1. - This latest weight loss medication has increased health care costs to the county by $1 million. 

Hotel Tax Grant applications. - will open 7/10 for eligible applicants. 

Human Services. - has reduced out-of-home juvenile placements to 156, which is half what it was 5 years ago. Instead, diversionary services are prioritized. "It's kind of nice to "make sure that children are staying within their family, and that they're getting the help that they need to keep that family intact."

Parks Department. - has planted over 800 trees. Renovations are near completion at Wy Hit Tuk Park in Williams Tp. 

Corrections. - Has been placing inmates in crisis in inpatient facilities that focus on treatment, which has saved the county $500,000 this year. 

Fiscal Affairs Director. - Will be announced in late June

State of the County Address. - Zrinski's first "State of the County" address will be on June 24, 4:30 pm at the National Industrial Museum of History. 

Zrinski Pledges No Cage Match at Courthouse Campus For Nation's 250th Birthday Bash

'Let the games begin!'

In line with the most hedonistic traditions of ancient Rome, President Donald Trump is planning a UFC cage match on the White House south lawn for June 14, which is both Flag Day and his 80th birthday. 

"We who are about to die salute you!" 

In ancient Rome, the unwashed masses at least were able to attend gladiatorial events for free at a stadium that seated 100,000 people. But if you want a ringside seat at this tacky spectacle, it will cost you between $1 and $1.5 million. The rest of you can watch via Paramount. 

NorCo Exec Tara Zrinski herself alluded to this at Thursday night's County Council meeting. America 250 is "really not about, you know, concerts at the White House or, you know, boxing rings or whatever they're called. What is that, in an MA thing? Yeah. We're not putting one of those on our lawn."

NorCo Council Approves Alternative Parking Arrangements After Some Tough Questions

At their Thursday night meeting, Northampton County Council voted 7-0 (Ken Kraft and Dave Holland were absent) to approve a $1,250 per month license agreement with Shiloh Baptist Church for 150 parking spaces during the 18 months it will take to raze and build a new parking deck at the courthouse campus. This parking deck is on Easton's south side, so a shuttle will also be needed to ferry employees and jurors from there to the courthouse. They did so after some tough questions from Council member Nadeem Qayyum. 

Public Works Director Mike Emili told Qayyum that the monthly rate was based on what the county had paid to St. Anthony's in the past for parking at their lot, which is located just two blocks away. He acknowledged that a lease agreement is being finalized there as well. 

Qayyum wanted to know whether the county explored the possibility of renting out space at Easton's 3rd Street parking deck, which is only about a half mile from the courthouse but all uphill. He indicated the price at Shiloh is 166% higher than getting a permit in Easton. 

Emili said that there is insufficient space at Easton's parking deck, but that deck is pretty much empty during the day. Its use is heaviest in the evening, according to city officials. They will let me know how much space they have available on a daily basis sometime next week. 

Emili said a shuttle would run every 15 minutes between Shiloh and the courthouse. On jury days, a bus will be used. 

Executive Tara Zrinski said, "We are also looking at the work from home policy to modify that to reduce the number of individuals, and we believe that, uh, these two strategies (alternative parking and remote work) together will get the people who need to work on premise here, and the people who can work from home occasionally will be able to do so."

Zrinski Addresses NorCo Primary Election Failures

On Wednesday, I posted a story about NorCo Elections Comm'n meeting the previous day during which nine people (Republicans and elections workers) expressed dissatisfaction with the way the county handled May's primary. Before that meeting ever happened, there were already indications that some things were amiss. Elections Registrar Chirs Commini honestly admitted that some voters who requested mail-in ballots received them, but for the wrong party. He also acknowledged that, just like the last election cycle, some voters received the wrong ballots. 

At the post-election meeting, it became clear that redistricting created issues in which some people running for state committee no longer lived in the voting district while others who did inexplicably never appeared on the ballot. There was an even more serious problem when it was discovered that epollbooks (used to check in voters) were never updated. This means that voters who had voted by mail could also cast a vote in person. Thankfully, nobody tried, but an important safeguard designed to ensure that each person votes only once, was missing. This hardly inspires public confidence. Finally, there were the usual training errors that, to be honest, are bound to happen no matter how hard you try to prevent them. Some people who work elections only two days a year are just going to make mistakes even though former Elections Registrar Amy Cozze prepared a thick binder for elections judges with the "dos" and "don'ts" on election day. Unfortunately, thanks to 30-second videos on Tik Tok and Youtube, we now have the attention spans of a housefly. 

These problems, as I told you, prompted Republican Elections Comm'rs to move to suspend pop-up elections for the remainder of 2026 on the theory that we are simply tasking elections officials with too much. They are statutorily required to run three elections (Mail-in ballots, ballot-on demand and in-person). Before shackling them with a fourth election, why not wait until they can pull off an election without any major issues like one in which voters could easily have voted twice? Democrats disagreed, and they outnumbered the Republicans. 

Administrator Mark Aurand told the Elections Comm'rs that there was no proof that conducting four pop-up elections or that sending two people to man a satellite office for four weeks to get a measly two votes directly caused the problems that occurred. That's true, but it's certainly a fair inference.  

Executive Tara Zrinski had previously told County Council it was a "smooth" election. To her credit, she has now acknowledged the process problems at last night's meeting of NorCo Council. Though she at one point minimized them as "very few and minor hiccups," she did indicate that her office would be conducting an after-action review to determine what went right and what went wrong. 

This year, we redistricted and changed several polling locations. And although party chairs were informed, as we proceeded with the approval from the state, the Northampton Republican Party chose to sue over the registering, and therefore delayed the process. ... And the Commonwealth Court approved our districts in February, February 4th, to be exact. So I want to emphasize that redistricting in a non-residential cycle when turnout is expected to be low in a non-contentious primary. Are the optimal conditions to troubleshoot and work out income kings.

This was not the way the Elections Commission saw, the very few and minor hiccups that occurred on the 19th. An elections commission meeting was held earlier this week, and complaints were brought to the commission regarding the recent primary elections, and they will be addressed. ... 

No votes were counted twice, even if cast, because of the safeguards placed, or in place to ensure that everyone only gets one vote. Nonetheless, the commission is expected to certify the election results next week.

And for the administration, again, I want to emphasize that the primary election was conducted in a manner that was free, fair, secure and accurate. And while there were concerns raised, as there always are, in a large scale public process, we take those seriously and we continue to refine our procedures. Our elections office is already focused on improvements for fall. Over the next few months, priorities of the election office will include re-examining procedures to add quality assurance steps.

Re-evaluating several of the new polling places, getting the new electronic poll books up and running, and the office also plans to hold a post event analysis of the primary election. De collections success days that went well and basically not go well.

And the goal will be to enhance procedures for the general election in the fall.

It's true that nobody voted twice, which would be a felony. But this would not have been caught until after the election and unofficial votes were tabulated. Safeguards need to prevent that from happening at all. It is, however, encouraging that Zrinski has listened to what these people had to say and will tryo to minimize future errors. 

Whether she knows it or not, however, she made one announcement that betrays a complete misunderstanding of the Elections Commission's role. It exists to administer elections, both under the express language of the Home Rule Charter and the Elections Code. Yet the administration has taken it upon itself to purchase new epollbooks without bothering to ask the Elections Comm'n first. 

In Northampton County, the Elections Comm'n has been relegated to a perfunctory body whose sole purpose is to simply certify elections. That needs to change. 

It's understandable that things have gone in this direction. Though the elections commission is required to administer elections, it is not a salary board and has no authority to set salaries. It lacks the power of the purse, which should be jealously guarded by county council. Moreover, these officials are unelected and, though they deserve our respect and gratitude for the time they spend, they should have no say in how we spend our money. 

That is why Northampton County's Elections Commission, like the Board of Elections in counties that operate under the county code. should consist of County Council members and the Executive. During years in which the at-large members and Executive are running for election, they should be replaced by the four district Council members and a voter selected by the court to insure minority representation. If the at-large Council members and Exec all belong to the same party, the courts can pick a representative from a minority party. 

I believe this approach will fulfill both the spirit and letter of the Elections Code. It will require a change to the Home Rule Charter. I will come up with a proposal next week, and will also tell you what elese happened during a brief but interesting meeting.

NorCo Seeking Parking Alternatives For Employees While New Parking Deck Is Under Construction

At tonight's meeting, Northampton County Council will consider a $1,250 license agreement with Shiloh Baptist Church for 150 parking spaces during the 18 months it will take to raze and build a new parking deck at the courthouse campus. This parking deck is on Easton's south side, so a shuttle will also be needed to ferry employees and jurors from there to the courthouse. 

The county has also requested Easton to expand the maximum time for metered spots around he courthouse from three to 10 hours. 

When the parking deck was repaired in the past, the county rented a parking lot from nearby St Anthony's Church, which is only about two blocks away and would require no shuttle. It would make sense to consider entering into a lease agreement with St. Anthony. In addition, this shuttle should also stop at the Easton parking garages, which are never full on weekdays. The county should probably also consider a lease arrangement with Easton for some parking spots. 

NorCo Elections Comm'n Votes 3-2 To Continue Pop-Up Voting Despite Elections Failures

At Northampton County Council's May 21 meeting, Executive Tara Zrinski reported that the Spring Primary went "smoothly," In reality, there were a number of problems. Before the election, some voters received ballots for the wrong party while others actually received duplicate ballots. As a result of redistricting, some party committee members were incorrectly listed in the wrong district while others were completely omitted. And on election day, epollbooks showed that voters were eligible to vote in person even though they had previously sent in mail-in-ballots (MIBs). These kinds of errors undermine public confidence in the elections process and need to be addressed. Northampton County's Elections Comm'n, however, is going to continue doing exactly what is causing this problem by requiring elections workers to do too much. 

The Elections office is already statutorily tasked with conducting what amounts to three elections every cycle.  There's in-person voting at the polling place, mail-in ballots and ballot-by demand. Last year, the county also decided to add a satellite office on Bethlehem's south side for four weeks so that people could either apply for MIBs or vote ballot by demand. Two people had been diverted from their usual duties to make it easier for people to vote. "That was not well attended," admitted Voter Registrar Chris Commini.

In addition to the satellite office, the county decided this year to stage "pop up" elections at Lafayette College (31 votes) Northampton Community College (3 votes), Upper Mt Bethel Tp Municipal Building (handful) and Lower Saucon (handful. To run these four pop-up events, elections workers had to be diverted from their usual duties. 

I understand and fully appreciate the importance of engaging as many voters as possible. But before conducting pop-ip elections or establishing satellite offices, county officials should be able to demonstrate that they con conduct the elections they are statutorily required to conduct with ease. Based on the past few elections, it's pretty clear that they need to focus on what they are required by law to do before branching out. 

At yesterday's meeting of the elections commission, nine people (elections judges and Republican party members voiced their concerns. What they had to say was summed up best by Matt Flower, who said that the elections failures fell into three categories - redistricting failures, training failures, and election system failures.

Redistricting failures. "Election registrar Chris Commini testified 4 times that no elected office would be impacted by redistricting.After the petition circulation period had already begun, they issued an email acknowledging that elected offices had in fact been affected. The consequences were real.In Upper Nazareth Township and Forks Township, both municipalities affected by redistricting, candidates appeared on the ballot in precincts, where they did not reside and were omitted from precincts, where they were legally eligible to hold office. In other cases, elected officials had their positions extinguished with no individualized notice.

Training failures. "In Wind Gap, poll workers were observed allowing voters to choose either party's primary ballot regardless of voter registration status. This procedural defect allows members of opposing parties to influence each other's primary elections. In Bath, the judge of elections was observed instructing that individuals who already voted would not be permitted back into the voting area, and that it did not matter whether they possessed valid poll watcher credentials. A clear violation of election law.

Election system failures. "Electronic poll books were not updated before the polls opened to identify voters who had already cast mail-in ballots. As a result, voters who already voted by mail could still appear eligible to vote at the polls, and the primary safeguard against duplicate voting was not functioning for a substantial portion of the election day.

These are not isolated mistakes. They are part of a pattern. Election integrity is measured by execution. Accurate ballots, accurate poll books, properly trained election workers. These are the core functions of election administration. When election administration failures become recurring events as they have in Northampton County, public confidence begins to erode. ... The voters of Northampton County are not asking for perfection. We are asking for competence.

Based on these issues, GOP Comm'n members Scott Hough and Shawn Welch suggested that the county suspend any pop-up elections in November. But they were outvoted by Democratic Commission members Sharon Gavin-Levy, Richard Groff and Becky Bartlett. Groff said the county could simply hire more people to help run elections, but the reality is that it takes several cycles for a temp or even a full-time worker to understand the system. 

I understand why the Democrats voted as they did. But I believe the county should focus on doing what the law mandates before getting into things that would be nice to see. In November, when turnout is going to be much higher, these mistakes are going to grow. 

Our Mental Health Crisis

When Governor Ed Rendell decided it was a good idea to shutter most of our state hospitals in 2010, he unwittingly unleashed a Mongol horde of seriously ill people into the Lehigh Valley and rest of the state.  State funding was set aside to house some, but not enough, of them. As a result, homeless encampments have exploded for some. Others have found homes in our jails. Still more have ended up at Gracedale. In the meantime, Northampton County has just 13 beds at Wernersville State Hospital for the sickest of the sick. So what is county government doing to deal with those who suffer from mental illness? Cathy Kromer, Deputy Administrator of NorCo Mental Health Division, told County Council last month that her department is doing what it can, even though it may seem like little more than a finger in the dike to stop a flood of seriously mentally ill people from cascading into our community. 

Kromer started by noting a distinction between those with general mental health concerns (we're all a little nuts) and those with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. She indicated that approximately one in five people have a diagnosable mental illness, but funding limitations requires Northampton County Mental Health to focus on those with serious mental illness and those requiring intensive support.

She explained that most health services are funded through Medical Assistance (Medicaid). County mental health funding primarily supports the uninsured, underinsured, intensive services, residential treatment programs, psychosocial rehabilitation programs, drop-in centers and advocacy organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness. (NAMI)

She highlighted the importance of Community Hospital Integration Project (CHIP) funding, clarifying that this is not the children's health insurance program. Rather, CHIP funding was established when Pennsylvania began closing state hospital beds. The state's commitment was that funding saved from institutional care would be redirected to counties to support individuals transitioning into community-based treatment settings.

Despite operating with an annual budget of approximately $13 million, Northampton County Mental Health serves thousands of residents annually and receives a constant flow of referrals.

In Fiscal Year 23-4, her department did an intake 0f 1,341 individuals, 80% of whom have serious mental illness. In Fiscal Year 24-25, the intake was 1,078 people. From July through December of 2025, her department did an intake for 985 people. 

Council member Lori Vargo Heffner asked Kromer to provide a list of funding gaps that resulted from last year's state budget impasse and to provide an idea of what cuts are expected this year. 

I'll say this, based on both my own experience as well as studies. I know a number of seriously mentally ill people. This includes a lady who decides to start shouting a cursing around 11 pm every night. While she might be a tad annoying, she's harmless. Mental illness only accounts for 3-5% of violent crime. Those who suffer from mental illness are far more likely to be victims of violent crime.  

Having said that, it was a mistake to close most state hospitals. 

Zrinski "Continuum of Care" Department Hints at Using Gracedale Campus For Assisted Living

In a close, 5-4 vote at NorCo Council's May 7 meeting, Executive Tara Zrinski's request for a completely brand new county department was granted. Supporting her were Council President Ken Kraft, joined by members Kelly Keegan, Jeff Warren, Theresa Fadem and Jason Boulette. Opposed were Lori Vargo Heffner, Dave Holland Nadeem Qayyum and Tom Giovanni.  Though a two-man Continuum of Care Department was created, which will costing $250,000 a year in salaries alone, a resolution approving the two positions was tabled. 

Zrinski argued that a separate department is needed to manage am 1,300-person workforce. More importantly, and in an opaque hint at her long-range plan, Zrinski said a separate department is needed "to coordinate the full continuum - nursing care, supportive living, and a future campus-based development reflecting the needs of the continuum of care across these 364 acres upon which Gracedale occupies." This suggests, at least to me, that the county is considering using some of its vast Gracedale campus to provide housing for seniors across the entire continuum of care spectrum.

This is certainly a much better idea than giving an out-of-town developer a tax break for luxury apartments. It would provide affordable housing to some of the county's most vulnerable residents. The county already owns the land but would need to borrow to build more housing. Like the county has done in the past for both open space and even keeping Gracedale, a question like this could be put to the voters.

So even though this creates a new layer of bureaucracy, I support the establishment of this new department. What I dislike about the positions, however, is that they are what the county calls "exempt" positions. This means that they are political hires who come and go with the Executive. 

For the first five months of this year, Zrinski has been unable to find a Director of Fiscal Affairs, a position sorely needed in a county with financial challenges. She has attributed this to a rather low salary, although she claims to have found one. I think the real challenge is that it's hard to attract a financial professional who is willing to tie his employment to the political winds.  

This department, like Emergency Management, should be completely apolitical so that it attracts people who have the right expertise and who are willing to make it a career.