Only three members of Bethlehem City Council (Colleen Laird, Bryan Callahan and Hillary Kwiatek) bothered to show up for its June 16 meeting. This resulted in a lack of a quorum, and the result of this is that no business could be conducted.
Public comment was still received for nearly an hour.
30 comments:
Well the Mayor has well established that you don’t need to show up to city council meetings they’re just following his lead
They had one job. This is why people despise lazy, shiftless, goldbricking politicians.
I can understand a last-minute absence and vacations happen, but it seems this is becoming a somewhat common occurrence in OLT. I'm not well-versed on policy, but if you know there will not be enough members present, why can't the meeting be rescheduled? I'm sure there are legalities, but if three members know in March that they won't be present at the same meeting in June, can't the meeting schedule be changed? Colon wants to be the next mayor, so perhaps he should show up for his side job.
So True
This is the second time this year they haven't had a quorum:
https://lehigh-valley-news-briefs.media/2026/03/01/bethlehem-city-council-will-not-meet-tuesday-president-leon-says-there-wont-be-enough-members-for-a-quorum/
They probably had two jobs.
Not good when council president says he does not need to be there. The people know what is going on.
not on topic, but I'm surprised you haven't covered the sweetheart deal Stan Margle was given last week. Softly, softly..
It does not strike me as a sweetheart deal at all. He has no record. He has an addiction. He spent time in jail. He's lost his license, at least temporarily. His reputation is badly damaged. He appears to be remorseful. He has a very tough road ahead. He was in addiction for many years and he is going to have to change his behavior and avoid the people places and things that drew him in. If he can do that, and it is no easy task, I support him all the way. What public interest is served by punishing him even more? The only thing I dislike was his attempt to blame others for his own problem, but he no longer appears to be spouting that nonsense.
Exactly Bernie. Fu$& these people who want blood from everyone but themselves.
Colon couldn't run a kindergarten class
It is a sweetheart deal. Most people will be denied ARD if they pick up another offense while the case is pending. I only know this because I happen to practice criminal law in Northampton occasionally. I had it happen to my own clients who were "nobodies" to the Northampton Bench.
I just think people should know that the bench has a huge double standard but whatever...
Why even have meetings anymore? Council is a useless and spineless body. They don’t stand up to the administration at all. Only callahan has the balls to question anything. Reynolds does not even go to meetings. He has been a disappointment as mayor. The city is being run into the ground.
Can’t democrat elected officials just institute mail-in rubber-stamping?
It’s not like they’re going to oppose anything they’re handed or that they’re adding anything to the debate.
Or maybe just call in Mike Schlossberg to advise them on ghost voting?
9:30 am: I sure don’t know what is going on regarding Willie and Council. My feeling is that council is stacked in his favor and most of Council licks the mayor’s boots.
The best government is the government that governs least. Bethlehem is fortunate. Council members should stay away. They're doing a wonderful job by not doing anything.
Unfortunately it seems like Bethlehem council doesn't really care to govern. Real good at virtue signaling though. They truly have one agenda and don't even bother listening to another viewpoint. Oh, then when confronted with opposing facts they just ignore things literally on camera. Homeless problems looking at you!!
@10:41 Or maybe accountability and equal treatment.
Agreed.
Council despises Callahan for doing his job. It is ashame what this city has become.
Absolutely they do. It is my opinion that they have the same agenda and what they do is not what is best for city. Besides Mr Callahan
Remorseful? Even when he was arrested the 2nd time he was blaming corrupt cops who had it out for him
Colon wants to be Mayor? Are you kidding me? He was terrible at running meetings , he let meetings run to 1 am in the morning and one meeting had to be taken over by the police because he let it get out of control. But then again, he would be better than this current mayor.
11:24 has it right Bernie. He thumbed his nose at law enforcement and accused others of corruption. Hot urines while out on bail. I feel like he would have been treated more harsh if he wasn’t a known courthouse regular.
The optics in Bethlehem are not good when you have a mayor who isn't showing up at council meetings (although they aren't required to attend) and council can't even get a quorum. Bethlehem voters had a chance to switch out the mayor to Grace Smith, someone much more committed to the residents. I've attended council meetings since I was an undergraduate at Moravian College in the late 1960's. The current council has very long way to go to match the gravitas, knowledge base and professionalism of city council's since, because it does appear that several are more agents of the mayor rather than a check and balance to the administration and representatives of the community at large.
Maybe it's time for another Callahan as Mayor. His brother did a great job. The last two are a disgrace to the City.
OK Bryan. It’s not going to happen. Remember the fiasco with your billboard on 22, when you lost the election to be on City Council? Cringe. You are loathed by others on council not because you disagree with the Mayor but because your tactics are brutish, inaccurate and crude. Go up against Willie all you want! But keep it short and factual, which is not in your wheelhouse.
I totally agree that Reynolds has not been a good mayor and has been a big disappointment but I can tell you that i've talked to Councilman Callahan several times in the last 2 years about running for Mayor and he has told me several times that he has absolutely no interest in running for mayor. He has been busy running his business and traveling. In fact he said he is supporting another candidate in two years for Mayor.
Grace would have been a great needed change for the city. This city has become a communist led community where only Brian Callahan now challenge to politburo mandates coming from City Hall.
Reynolds was raised in a communist household & has surrounded himself on Ciuncil with runner stampers. He along with his thug parking authority head as his weapon to punish those that object to his agenda must be replaced.
Hard to believe what this great community has become.
Grace Crampsie Smith would have been a great mayor and brought ethics and morals back to city hall....how far we have fallen in only 6 years since Donchez left.
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