In a rather disappointing Facebook Live, NorCo Executive Tara Zrionski unveiled her 2027 spending plan on October 2. She proposed a roughly 43.5% increase in property taxes, increasing the millage rate from 10.5 to about 15.6 mills. Instead of recognizing the heavy burden she hopes to impose on property owners. she displayed a jocular attitude with stray tangents and inappropriate laughter. She even arrived late although she said, "Nothing happens without me." If she expected the public to laugh along with her, she was wrong. Social media exploded with indignation. That anger continued at last night's first meeting of County Council since she released her budget.
Her own Administrator and Joe Welsh, Zrinski's head cheerleader, spoke in support of the spending plan. Everyone else was angry. Some speakers who know little about county government or any government, for that matter, made County Council their whipping boys. But most members of the public pointed directly at Zrinski. When it was her turn to speak, she did the same thing she did during the Gracedale Oversight Committee hearing. She got emotional and confrontational. Perhaps a bit too emotional. At times, she appeared to be beating back tears.
UPDATE: There may be a lag between you submitting comments and me being able to publish. I am headed to Philly foir the annual Philly Bike Ride, which I love to do every year. On Sunday, my grandson and I are goingh to see the Eagles, thanks to his girlfriend, who got him tickets for his birthday. I won't be back 'till late Sunday.
Let me add here that Zrinski's public response to the Grand Jury report, her poor presentation of the budget during a Facebook Live, have all been far more emotional than I usually see. But I do believe, and many of you agree, that she wants to do the right thing by everyone and has a big heart. She has had a lot of cheerleaders so it's good for her to hear some criticism, even if some of it is unfair.
I agree completely that a tax hike is needed. Any of you who fail to see this are wrong. Talk to former and current Council members. Talk to her. We have to be able to pay people more money. In the end, that is what this about. It is time to stop balancing the budget on the backs of the hard workers, and yes, they do work hard.
She is clearly over her head. She should consider resigning.
ReplyDeleteCouncil should not approve the Deputy Sheriff MOA.
ReplyDeleteWhy would they give deputies a 20% raise over 4 years when they insist on relinquishing one of their core duties.
Kraft is right. Transport COs lost their jobs and had to be reassigned when the initial Deputy Sheriff CBA was announced.
In 4 years a starting deputy would be making $72000/year and they don’t want to do what is required of them.
Sheriff Ziegler being unable to answer questions shows how little he knows about the budget he submitted.
20 years ago hospital details were welcomed by the deputies as this was their overtime bread and butter.
Not wanting them now indicates the character of the current group and don’t reward them with a 20% increase.
Let them go to arbitration and they will be lucky to get 10% over 4 years.
Arbitration doesn’t cost the County anything as they have paid lawyers on staff.
And if you approve this, get ready to pay correction officers the same wages as sheriffs since they are in essence doing the work of deputies.
Council - Think before you vote.
72k to start is outrageous
DeleteHer behavior is unacceptable. Her followers and defenders are like MAGA. County Council would not even allow a discussion on a tax increase for this year. Time to clean house. Jeff Warren, Keegan and kraft wanted a $20 million tax cut for luxury apartments by a developer but will stick county residents with a tax increase like this?
ReplyDeleteThe only good thing is McClure, like Barron have beat a retreat form the county. You called anyone who disagreed with him an obstructionist. We needed more obstructionists and less rubber stamps.
No her followers and defenders are like the DSA sheeple that they are.
DeleteHas McClure addressed these issues and shortfalls spread out over his eight years this wouldn’t hurt so much. He knew this was coming and instead of addressing it gave a tax cut and had a hiring freeze. The work employees did didn’t go down but there’s less people to do it. Glad he seemed to “resign”.
DeleteShe is out of her mind she lives in a fantasy land She is no leader but a liberal who has no understanding of affordability She is not there for the employee the employee is there for the county if they don't like what they get quit and she is not there for the retiree with a 435 increase. She should resign.
ReplyDeleteThat’s why most offices are severely understaffed. McClure left cut jobs that were unfilled instead of hiring. Your they should find another job is exactly what McClure stated during contract negotiations. Without the employees your services will continue to go down
DeleteShe is a good example of why the most unfair way to tax the property tax must go. Irresponsible politicians. But wait the people in Easton are going to be taxed big time for years to come when they build that new high school do you think property tax is the way to go. yes for the political class.
ReplyDeleteWhat the public doesn’t understand, is that there is so much overtime in some of the sectors because people don’t want to work for the county or end up leaving for better paying jobs. We don’t work in the private sector where you have the chance for annual raises or bonuses. Steps, COLAs - they are determined by administration and union contracts. Tara was right last night - why work in the prison or some of the offices that deal with the public when you can have a better paying job or less stressful job pushing carts or working in warehouses. Many of us appreciate her foresight in bettering the employment opportunities at the county.
ReplyDelete"Should I burn down the prison?" Wtf? Is she 12?
ReplyDeleteShe just proves she’s a moron, drama queen who should resign immediately. When she speaks you witness stupidity.
DeleteEverytime she speaks, I cringe- it obvious shes not too sharp or has any business acumen.
DeleteShe's an adjudicated liar. I read that here. Falsus in uno. Falsus in omnibus. Tara is just a rotten liar. Her lying goes beyond being a typical dishonest politician. It's in every fabric of her being and has been for years. If you believe anything she utters from a ChatGPT script, you have only yourself to blame and are a zombie DSA drone. She's lying about her justification for a cruel tax grab. Lying liars lie.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the lying under oath stuff. Perfect prerequisite for a politician.
DeleteDon't let her get away with it she will settle for 20% and the people will be happy.
ReplyDeleteO no she is frustrated by the public How many more years
ReplyDeleteWhitehall built 2 new big building taxes went sky high look out Easton your next This year they were 8 million in debt in Whitehall, but the administrator all got big raises Will it happen in Easton?
ReplyDelete43% does not like public criticism that is too bad.
ReplyDeleteCounty Council/Commissioners and LAMONT McCLURE are to blame for this fiasco called a budget and this all came about because McClure was running for Congress and manipulated the budgets to give him a no tax increase eight year term as County Executive. Gracedale is a shameful McClure disgrace. The shortage of prison guards is a McClure disaster and proof that he would do anything and bend to any level for his own personal benefit. Maybe Tara isn't handling this as well as she is capable of doing, but her budget presentation (as unprofessional as it is) isn't putting the blame where it belongs and that is the present Commissioners and Mr. McClure. This budget shows the people of Northampton County what needs to be done to address most of the major problems left us by McClure and gives the Commissioners the opportunity to make the cuts in the areas of the budget that they feel are themost important. Now let the Commissioners do there work, Let the real "CIRCUS" begin. Remember, four Commissioners are up for election next year, Watch their actions. Should be interesting.
ReplyDeleteShe has been a close ally of McClure. She was part of the problem.
DeleteYes, but they are district seats, not at-large. District 1 (Kraft) is Bethlehem, so a Republican has no shot. Ditto for District 2 Easton (Keegan). These seats can only be won in the Democratic primary! District 3 (Warren) could swing but formerly Republican areas of Bethlehem and Hanover Townships are now Dem leaning/likely. District 4 (Giovanni) is the Northern Tier and should elect a Republican. So, the primary will likely be the ballgame for all 4 seats.
DeleteThen primary these Three Stooges. Anyone is better than they are.
DeleteAgreed. She's left to clean up his mess.
DeleteWatch the flight out of Northampton county if this thing passes. Lower tax base, larger problem. The poor who can't afford a move will be left to suffer, homelessness will increase and all will suffer.
The choice actually I'd do reassessments of properties, tax businesses more or increase taxes. Lose, lose for all.
But what do I know.
A retiree who's relatively happy I have a pension. Barely keeps up with inflation, but income of sorts anyway to PSF the paltry SS.
Watching from Palmer
She’s in way over her head. What leader stands up there “beating back tears” I mean C’mon this is ridiculous!!!
ReplyDeleteNo crying in government. Resign.
DeleteEverybody wants to blame Tara, but there’s a deeper problem. While it’s true Tara literally can’t say “No” to anyone with their hand out - either can County Council. And, this is not new. It’s been true since the dawn of Home Rule. Case in point: Council unanimously agreed to give the “independent” Conservation District $300,000.00 over the next two years last night unanimously. You’re either broke or you’re not.
ReplyDelete"Case in point: Council unanimously agreed to give the “independent” Conservation District $300,000.00 over the next two years last night unanimously. You’re either broke or you’re not."
DeleteThis is not accurate. The Memorandum of Understanding with the Conservation District does not commit any money from the county. It outlines what responsibilities the NCCD has and sets up a framework for them to ask for a capped subsidy, in exchange for taking on specific additional services the county currently performs.
The NCCD subsidy is not currently in the budget. Council did not vote last night to add it to the budget. We just approved a legal framework. The Public Works budget hearing will be on October 21st. Amendments to the budget will be done in mid-November. If NCCD gets any money, it will be through an amendment and Council will need to find cuts elsewhere to fund it.
This is not taras fault or the current county councils fault. This is years of balancing the budget on the backs of the employees. This is all mcclure and you can say previous councils fault of years and years of rubber stamps for mcclure and following hid agenda. Keegan, warren and kraft have been there long enough you can point some blame at them. What council needs to be reminded of they are not there for the administration they are there for the tax payers. They are their own branch and entity and not just follow what is being thrown at them. Its checks and balances just like on the federal level. That being said most of this budget should pass the county is not in a good position due to mcclure but if any cuts happen lets start at looking at the changing pay grades of top administration they already make for more than the employees. And also the retire and pension plan can we spread this out over years to get back on track and not all at once?
DeleteDo we know who in the administration are getting increases? Start there.
DeleteIt is all in the 2027 budget, new pay grade for deputy sheriff and Lt. if i recall without looking 7% for the county executive and many more. The point is if there is fat to cut lets start with the top who are making 90k plus and go from there.
DeleteSo what say you Mr. Boullette?? What is your position on this 43% tax hike? I think reasonable people will say yes we need to increase revenue, but those same people will say 43% is ridiculous. Can't wait to see what council does here. The folks are riled up.
Delete"if i recall without looking 7% for the county executive"
DeleteThere is no pay raise for the County Executive. Pay raises for elected officials can't be done as part of the budget, they must be done as separate ordinances, and they don't take effect immediately.
I do not imagine any member of Council will be introducing an ordinance to give any elected officials raises at this time.
"So what say you Mr. Boullette?? What is your position on this 43% tax hike? I think reasonable people will say yes we need to increase revenue, but those same people will say 43% is ridiculous. Can't wait to see what council does here."
DeleteI'm not supportive of the increase. I believe there's a lot that can be cut in the budget and will be submitting many amendments to do just that. Look, if I'm being honest, I think the last Council should have voted for a 1 mill increase when Ron Heckman proposed one. The new Council members were handed a bad situation. But I intend to do the best I can to make sure we're not overburdening our taxpayers.
Please scrutinize the Deputy Sheriff MOA - do not reward this bargaining unit for forgoing its state issued duties.
DeleteProperty taxes sure are fair right Bernie?
ReplyDeleteShe has spent at least 10 years campaigning for various political offices. She finally got what she wanted and is learning the difference between campaigning and governing. Giggling and smiling isn’t gonna get it done.
ReplyDeleteIf she cannot withstand the critical comments, she should consider a career change.
ReplyDeleteAcross the country, democrats are trying to make “affordability”, a campaign issue. Yet everywhere I turn, Democrat politicians are pushing tax hikes. That’s definitely NOT making anything more affordable.
ReplyDeleteThat tells me that they’re either lying about “affordability” being as big of a problem as they are making it out to be, or they are not the ones to elect to solve it.
So which are they, liars or incompetents? Or both?
Democrats and affordability? Laughable!!!! The number one least affordable state in the country is Massachusetts. A family of 4 needs a household income of $329,555 to live comfortably. The top 5 cost of living states are Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, New York, and New Jersey. All supermajority Democrat. This was the case long before Trump came along. Tax, spend, and grow government is all they know.
Deletehttps://smartasset.com/data-studies/heres-the-salary-it-takes-to-live-comfortably-in-each-u-s-state-in-2026
My biggest problem with Tara The Tax Girl is how she fails to acknowledge she’s been McClures sidekick and ally. She was a part of this train wreck. She was also Controller. Even with 10 years of no tax increase 43% is ridiculous!!
ReplyDeleteThis is About Northampton County proposed 2027budget. . It is not about Democrats or Massachusetts stick to the topic please if you can’t do that I will not publish you
DeleteI am shocked that two years as county campaigner, er, controller didn't better prepare her for this. Although, two years of free, unearned money means she's got some extra to cover the hit she'll take of that additional $172 a year in county property taxes.
ReplyDeleteTaking a carefree attitude toward punctuality and the occasional giggle shows she is unfit for this office.
Make her cry more.
Don't expect those knives to be too sharp. Current council is a dull bunch.
This person does not belong in this position. Yes burn down the prison. WTF!!! She is clearly not in touch with reality. Not to say that she didn't inherit a mess but she knew that going in. Don't act like your constituents are children who you have to manage and fight with. Where are all the Trump comparisons now from our favorite TDS commenter??😆 Do better Tara.
ReplyDeleteJust another example in her long history of embarrassing conduct. She's still the immature person screaming into a bullhorn in front of the Bethlehem Post Office.
ReplyDeleteIt's so painfully obvious that she lacks the emotional intelligence for the job- I'll be surprised if she lasts 4 years.
ReplyDeleteI watched the meeting on Youtube and appeciated the well spoken people from our communities that spoke before council. Some were very knowledgable and council and TZ should take note on what was said.
ReplyDeleteAs for TZ, it clearly showed me she is not a leader who should be running our county.. A woman leader can show compassion in a public forum without getting all emotional and weepy. Give me a break! She needs to get her hormones in check and I am saying this as a woman.
What the heck too in the beginning of her report confronting the commnity audience members who spoke. Some people who spoke were well versed on the budget. Did she show up late and miss them? She is too defensive, bullish,and needs to be humble and listen. She says she hears. She also said it's hard to hear criticism, well she needs to see it as constructive criticism and learn how to handle as a leader.
One thing the county council and citizens need to know that appears is purposely not being said, is county employees have mandatory retirement taken out of their pays. Being retired, when I first started employment many years ago, I had a mandatory 10% coming out each pay, then it was reduced to 8 % trying to get younger people to accept jobs, then iit went to 5% each pay. The county takes the money and invests it. TZ makes it sound like this doesn't happen. 35+ years, of bi-weekly payments going into pension fund. If the county is having a shortfall with the pension fund, that should be looked into. Were bad investment choices/changes made? Does the. county need to bring the employee contribution back up to 8% before increasing taxes? Maybe the pension fund needs to be on council meeting agenda due to
giving this as a reason why tax increase is needed and explain why needed. The community appears upset and appears they think retirees are getting this for free.
I agree that she should accept constructive criticism and one gentleman in particular was highly helpful. But others were completely uninformed and frankly do not know what they are talking about. Also, referring to her in demeaning ways is not constructive criticism.
DeleteThe pension fund has made money over the years because of solid investments that have rivalled any fund. But it should have enough funding on hand to pay every retiree's pension right away. That happens only when the county pays the amount set out by the actuary. There is nothing wrong with the investments. The county skipped a year and shortchanged it in another. So that is why so much $ is needed. Zrinski did point this out as controller.
Pension funding has always been an area of mischief. When you kick the can, it always is someone else's problem. We have that problem at the state level (PSERS is 67% funded) and none of our dear leaders will even discuss it let alone do anything about it.
DeleteYet another ticking time bomb of funding / tax increases that await our children and grandchildren. And us given all the tax increases in the Valley by virtually all taxing authorities.
With that said, Zrinski showed she is not emotionally equipped to lead. Whoever has her ear, please get this under control. We have critical issues to address, and we don't need the petulance and blaming others. And Josh Siegel is just as bad, he was an embarrassment the other night when Lehigh County Commissioners shot down his requests for increased spending.
So Taxin Tearful Tara is going to blame McClure for everything. Except she was part of it all. I don’t remember her saying we need a 43% tax increase when she was running. She was Controller!!
ReplyDeleteDid you not hear her say she recommended a tax increase as the controller and council did nothing. So did Ron Heckman when he was on his way out and council still voted no.
DeleteI also saw her vote for the tax cut LOL.
DeleteThe first thing the county should do is cut off support for the planning commission. Why should the NORCO taypayers support these grossly overpaid good for nothing parasites.
ReplyDeleteNorthampton county is in trouble from Gracedale to Zrinski
ReplyDeleteNorthampton county is a good example of why property taxes must be eliminated.
ReplyDeleteAnd be replaced with …. ? The expenses of the courts and the prison aren’t going away.
DeleteCongratulations voters. You did this to yourselves
ReplyDeleteFirst, she needs an immediate reset. She needs to fire Mark Aurand. He has no relevant experience and his arrogance blinds him. Second, and I’m not kidding, she needs to call Charlie Dertinger and ask him to come back. Yeah, he’s shit at buying election equipment, but he knows how that government has to be run. Third, Tara needs to go to Council at the next meeting and declare, that’s she’s heard the cry of the people and she’s going back to the drawing board. Fourth, she needs to get on her hands and knees and beg Steve Barron to come back to be Director of Fiscal Affairs. Fifth, she needs to learn to say NO.
ReplyDeleteShe's incompetent and it shows. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near this train wreck!
DeleteNo, Steve Barron is not the answer. He moved 9 million dollars without council's approval.
DeleteBarron might of moved money, but he did not know how to budget and say no.
DeleteI suspect Charles will not be interested...
DeleteGood idea on putting Charles in Charge but he probably won’t want the fiscal job.
DeleteThe emphasis should be on the taxpayer that cannot afford the outrageous increases to all taxes. The emphasis should be on the seniors who have paid for years and are on limited income and unable to absorb the increases and will have to sell their homes. This isn't personal Tara....stop making it about you. Be a leader and look for real solutions. Democrats tout cost of living and then keep raising taxes . They are running this election on affordability and their solutions are to tax people more!
ReplyDeleteOne of the most distressing things about watching last nights meeting is that when those citizens were at the mic expressing their heartfelt emotions, Terri Fadem and Lori Cargo Heffner were on their phones. Fadem was worse than Heffner, but they were both doing it. All of the other Council members gave the citizens their full attention but not Fadem.
ReplyDeleteI retired from Gracedale several years ago. Let me tell you that there is so much wasted money there. No one wants to see layoffs but that is what must be done. You do not need the same amount of staff for 425 residents that you needed with 725 residents. You need direct care staff. Cut the other departments in half. Make people work harder and pay them for that. Staff will want to come to work because they will be appreciated. AND NO OVERTIME FOR ANYONE. HOLD EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE.
ReplyDeleteI have never been a fan of Tara. I don't like her politics. Saying that, her heart is in the right place. We all knew a tax increase was needed. Lamont drove the county into the ground with his political aspirations.
ReplyDeleteSaying that, and not trying to be mean, but watch TZs budget presentation and her comments last night. She is not equipped to be executive.
It's not an easy job to be executive. Look at her previous work experience. Look at her education. Look at her mental health.
Im not equipped to be executive. Neither is she.
She lacks any business experience, and her politics are crazy- she is the worst possible person for the job.
DeleteThis is a good post. I wanted her to succeed but I knew it wasn’t going to work out. 43% is ridiculous. If she came out and said hey. Maybe 10, 10, and 10 spread over 3 years so the hit isn’t so bad, but 43%, even Bernie says it’s more than she needs.
DeleteBernie, this size of a tax increase during the current economy is irresponsible in my opinion and I'm frankly disappointed that any elected officials would propose something this large given an inflationary economy like the current one. But, it's not just on the current administration's shoulders. The prior administration is also at fault with all of the no tax increase years and even one year with a cut. I can't debate the reasons for the increase or holding the line (which has a cumulative effect), because I'm not completely familiar with it. But with all of the budgeting experience I accrued while working for the City of Bethlehem, I can't understand why a phased in approach isn't being taken to soften the impact and meet the need. The cost of delivering government is subject to the same inflationary pressures over time, just like each household is, but this kind of request will contribute to breaking many households financially on top of inflation. It could cost some people their homes.
ReplyDeleteA. McClure - clearly one of the ogres in this saga for his outrageous budget performance for 8 yrs as Exec.
ReplyDeleteB. Tara - if only there was some version of the 25th Amendment available at the County level.
McClure groomed an incompetent and emotionally challenged person as his replacement and the political machine went along. I was in the hall when she announced her candidacy- I knew then that she wasn't a good fit for the job.
ReplyDeleteI watched the meeting- it was like a kid having a temper tantrum.
ReplyDeleteIt was as unprofessional as Krafts profanity and condescending comments on the blog last week. These people lack professionalism. Our county is not as it was in the past where professionals spoke intelligently and made good decisions and the staff enjoyed coming to work. They were respected. They were treated kindly. They weren't yelled at and threatened. Today's management and administration are unqualified and untrained. Look at cyf and human services, gracedale/the line staff know more than their bosses and could run things better. Trim the number of management and theres big savings there. Optional demotion to become caseworkers WOULD save money and managers that remain would just have a little more work.
DeleteThe fact that McClure got destroyed by the worst possible candidate for Congress, tells you everything you need to know about his tenure as Executive. Unfortunately, his hand picked successor has no clue what she is doing, and only wanted the position for her resume.
ReplyDeleteThat probably had more to do with Gov. Shapiro and the four million bucks that got spent on Bob, but you do you here on this blog which you could never do at a ballot box.
DeleteIt’s funny. She was a council member and then controller. If anyone should have known the true financial situation in the county it was her.
ReplyDeleteYet I don’t recall her campaigning on giving residents a 43% tax hike.
Tara faced the public, she explained why this is needed, she explained the history. She was honest and clear. She explained what county staff do and expressed the need for services. She’s not playing games with her constituents. Most of the people in the room had no idea what the county does. All of the negative comments both last night and online are the same people who when they need county services will complain that we don’t do enough for them.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn’t take a genius to understand that after 8 years of failing to raise taxes at some point an increase is needed. School districts have been increasing taxes year over year by 5%. Over 8 years, what percentage is that?
Maybe she’s not polished but she stood up and explained it. She faced the public. Most politicians wouldn’t. She did the best she could given the gravity of the fiscal situation.
All that said it is obvious that it’s time to let gracedale go. It’s too costly, poorly run and a drain on taxpayers. With the massive amount of money saved, we could give all indigent residents a subsidy to receive skilled nursing care at private facilities. And we can fund all of our essential services with no increase in taxes.
From 2015 to 2021 inflation was running 2% at most. Then the Covid craziness and the 9% plus. So a 20% tax increase maybe given the shitload of Covid relief money they had. As far as the school district, they have been taxing to the cap forever, that doesn’t make it right. She wants to be Santa Claus to everyone and everything, and I think she has gotten the folks attention lol.
DeleteThank you Tara….Or Mark
DeleteIt doesn’t help
Bernie, you often claim that you want “Tara to succeed “. Wishing or wanting won’t make it so. One minute she is escalating and the next she is spiraling downward in tears. She has absolutely no idea how to handle what comes along with her position. Not everyone likes or will like you, Tara, and that apparently is something you can’t accept. Lecturing us that we should doesn’t help. Waving your fingers at people and admonishing them doesn’t work either. You chose to run for this office and it appears you thought it was just a job of photo ops and goodwill ambassador for the county. It appears you now have distain for McClure. Get some mental help, some appropriate meds and maybe listen to someone other than yourself for once, You appear to be out of control and so is this county. Your actions at the meeting last night were of deep concern.
ReplyDeleteI've seen such childish behavior from any adult in my entire life!
DeleteZrinski loves the photo ops of being Executive, but she is the wrong person for the job. She is financially illiterate and emotionally immature for the position.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the possible abuse at Gracedale this morning on T6?
ReplyDeletePlease explain
DeleteCrime radar app listed possible abuse on T6 at Gracedale.
DeleteThe best way out of this is to increase the taxes 8-10% this time and prepare the public to expect annual raises of at least 5% each new year going forward.
ReplyDeleteMcClure is DEFINITELY the cause of the hole the County got itself into, but that’s water over the dam. Not a good look for Democrat administrations anywhere. I’ve been registered here as Independent for about 15 years now and certainly didn’t vote for either McClure or any other Democrat for years.
And how do fixed income cover this even it gradually implemented??
DeleteNo one on Social Security, as I am, is totally ‘fixed’ income. There are annual raises there.
DeleteThen, there’s the temporary option of making several small spending cuts. Items like subscriptions, extra cable tv packages, finding a much cheaper cell phone, dining out a little less often, rejecting name-brand items. Some merchants are purposely keeping prices high, simply don’t buy their stuff and their price will eventually go down.
There’s no question things are tight right now, but to be honest, it’s a temporary situation.
The employee who gave Tara a hug in the parking lot should give her another
ReplyDeleteThings to consider....
ReplyDelete1. Freeze the current pension and offload the current pension plan assets (pension buyout) and move to a cash balance plan.
2. Seriously consider selling Gracedale. Clearly the county cannot manage this facility and should not be in the nursing home business. Why did most of the other counties in PA get rid of them?
3. Stop complaining and take a big bite out of the "SAVE GRACEDALE" sandwich. This is what YOU voted for !!!
From her response to the D.A. report, to this, it is abundantly clear, she is the wrong person to lead- anything!
ReplyDeleteIs Zrinski stomping her feet and gnashing her teeth.
ReplyDelete"I agree completely that a tax hike is needed. Any of you who fail to see this are wrong." Sad, but true. Similar thing just happened in Monroe County. They put off tax hikes so they can say, "I didn't raise taxes", but at some point taxes have to go up. I would rather small increases yearly, than 43% (or 30+% in Monroe). Wait until they finally get around to reassessing properties, although maybe they can then drop the millage rates. Not sure how anyone can argue against reassessing after over 30 years.
ReplyDeleteTara is not qualified for this position. Her emotional display and her attitude towards residents clearly indicates she has Mental Health issues. She will crack. Get help now and resign. After Kraft saying you can’t blame this council because it mostly new is BS. 5 members were there the last 2 years. But they were rubber stamps for McClure and Tara was there before these people so she knew. Resign
ReplyDeleteDoesn’t it just make sense for Tara to say in retrospect her vote to cut taxes in 2022 was a mistake ? What I don’t understand is why is she trying to recoup all of the savings the taxpayers have enjoyed over the last 4 years in one year ? It doesn’t make any sense.
ReplyDeleteZrinski is unfit to serve as Executive- in spite of her years on Council and serving as Controller, its painfully obvious that she didn't learn a thing.
ReplyDeleteTara, When you were advocating, as County Executive-elect in 2025, that County Council raise taxes for 2026, what was Council’s response ? I believe only 1 of 9, the intrepid Ron Heckman agreed.
ReplyDeleteZrinski never specifically asked for a tax hike. And yes only Ron Heckman proposed a 1 mill hike
DeleteOh she lobbied multiple Commissioners to do just that.
DeleteJust saw this update sounds like you have a great weekend planned!! As far as the tax hike, yes taxes need an increase, but I think it was a huge blunder to go for 43% all at once. I think her political career is over because of it.
ReplyDeleteCan we please stop this stupidity about “needing” a tax hike because we haven’t had one in a while?
ReplyDeleteThe fact is that the county is collecting more property tax revenue than it ever has. How is this possible? Think of every new development, business or warehouse that’s been built. Those properties are taxed much higher than whatever they replaced, resulting in what? That’s right, more property tax revenue for the county.
In fact, the county has so much additional revenue that Zrinski is willing to forego the additional property tax revenue on some properties being developed by handing out TIF’s and other tax bennies to the politically connected. What does that do? It makes others wait on moving forward with their own projects until they get their handout!
The problem is not a revenue problem, it’s a spending problem. Should we really be surprised that an executive that seems to have little to no self-control doesn’t seem able to control the spending of OUR money?
Why didn’t Tom Giovanni vote to increase taxes in 2025, when Zrinski asked
ReplyDeleteIt was Ron Heckman that asked for the 1 mil tax increase not Zrinski and McClure would have vetoed that tax increase. Council did not have the votes to override the veto. McClure wanted to go out as an county executive with no tax increases.
DeleteBecause he’s smarter than her when he’s sleeping lol.
DeleteBernie O’Hare said: “I agree completely that a tax hike is needed. Any of you who fail to see this are wrong. Talk to former and current Council members. Talk to her. We have to be able to pay people more money. In the end, that is what this about. It is time to stop balancing the budget on the backs of the hard workers, and yes, they do work hard.”
ReplyDeleteAnd there it is. As usual, you talk a good game but when the chips are down, you’re right there to try to help bail out another floundering democrat politician.
What we need is to set clear priorities for things that the county must do, do them well and efficiently, and stop doing things that the government doesn’t do well.
Please tell me what programs that Zrinski has cut to save money for county taxpayers. Surely there has to be SOMETHING that the county is currently doing that can be cut.
But what has been Zrinski’s effort to do that? Urging residents to get a budget book and telling THEM propose something to cut? I hate to break it to her, but that’s HER job!
As far as balancing the budget on the backs of county workers, I’m more worried about BREAKING the backs of taxpayers. Maybe Zrinski should think more about them!
The previous county council consisted of three Rs who consistently maintained we need to pay more. When town was county exec, the Rs voted for a 1-mill tax hike. This is not about democrats or republicans. It is about good government and there is no question a tax hike is needed. As for cuts, I’ve already outlined two areas to look. And I know of several Dems who are looking to make cuts.
DeleteHer priorities are smack on. If she can do it without the bullshit would be a good move.
ReplyDeleteWho could write a positive about Tara, her priorities and ability to
Deletelead? Must be a staunch supporter who will have egg on his/her faceas well when all of this fails. Northampton County doesn’t have time for “ on the job training “
Pay me, a NC retired taxpayer! Soon I will not be able to afford NC. Other states don't have real estate taxes and do fine. Why not NC????
ReplyDeleteRemember this, Zrinski wanted to give taxpayers money for a bond to support Skyline Development for Dixie project. Now she is looking to have tax increases. Seniors need to express their feelings about the added 5.5 mills at county council's meetings.
ReplyDeleteUr a maroon if ya take this blog seriously
ReplyDeleteAs a Northampton County Retiree with almost thirty years of service, all I am asking is what was promised to me when I came to work for the County. Bernie is right. Stoffa, Brown and McClure have stuck it to the employees for decades. (Balancing their budgets on the backs of the loyal workers and retirees). McClure is an embarrassment in that he outright lied about what he did. Stoffa was too dumb and he really turned on the employees and retirees. Brown was a shyster who didn't understand County Government. Not all the County Executives were bad. there was one or two who really cared about the employees. Too bad their all gone. It will take years to clear up this mess the County is in but it can be done. It will take a united effort between The Commissioners and the Executive.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of the people commenting here may not fully understand how county government works.
ReplyDeleteI understand people are frustrated. Rents are increasing, food costs are increasing, and gas and oil prices are increasing. But those frustrations don’t automatically make the County Executive responsible for every increase people are experiencing. We don’t typically direct those same frustrations toward the President or federal government when those costs rise, so it’s worth understanding who actually has authority over what before assigning blame.
What concerns me even more is seeing a woman being called a “b****” and a “c***” on social media rather than people taking the time to understand the facts, the county’s finances, and the role of County Council.
If you’ve been paying attention to county government, you know that many of the challenges facing the county didn’t begin yesterday. They have been building for years, and changing the direction of an organization as large and complex as county government isn’t going to happen overnight.
Tara has come into this role talking about making changes, looking at things differently, and bringing a different perspective to county government. Whether everyone agrees with every decision she makes is completely fair to debate. But disagreement doesn’t justify personal attacks, and it certainly shouldn’t replace an honest discussion about the facts.
And if people are truly unhappy with what is happening in the county, I think some of the anger is being directed at the wrong place.
County Council has significant authority over county government, including the budget and other major decisions. Council members are elected to represent the residents of this county. If you disagree with the direction the county is taking, hold the people who actually have the authority to make those decisions accountable—and remember that voters have a role in deciding who sits on Council.
You don’t have to agree with Tara. You don’t have to agree with Council. But before attacking someone personally, take the time to understand how county government actually works.
I would refuse to publish referring to Zrinski with such blatant sexism, but I agree that she is more susceptible to attack than a man would be. I also agree we need a tax hike.. but 43%??? That is incredibly out of touch with the hardships faced by the persons she represents. And let me tell you how this works UNDER THE HRC. Council is the governing body., but it is the exec who proposes the budget. Council is unable to interfere with the Executive’s revenue projections. If it rejects the budget. Zrinski’s budget goes into effect. They have the power to adopt it or amend it. They will amend it
ReplyDeleteA lot of the anger is bc Zrinski’s spending plan is unrealistic. She should have consulted in advance with her council allies. She has damaged herself and them. They are now running from her.
I agree Tara should not be called demeaning names as if this were a playground. However, Tara throws the “C” word around all of the time. In fact, her mouth is so bad she could make a trucker who was in the Navy blush. In a more genteel time, her behavior would be “not ladylike.” Today it’s just inappropriate and unbecoming of a County Executive, and totally inappropriate in the workplace.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard her hurl any more vulgar language than any other oerson
DeleteMy money would be on the court house employee, not you Bernie. Have you ever had a one on one with an angry or visibly annoyed Tara? Yes to both!
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