Should NorCo Council President Have Unfettered Authority to Appoint Committee Members and Chairs.

In early July, Northampton County Council voted 6-3 to establish a Gracedale Oversight Committee proposed by Holland. Earlier that evening, Executive Tara Zrinski condemned the idea. Council President Ken Kraft first tried to table the matter, and when that failed, he voted against it. So did Council members Kelly Keegan and Nadeem Qayyum. (Qayyum had argued in support of the Oversight Committee, so I think his No vote was a mistake.) Though he ultimately voted to establish the committee, Council member Jeff Warren said he had "serious" reservations about the word "oversight."

Each of County Council's standing committees exist for that express purpose - oversight.

After this vote, Kraft chose to ignore the expressed will of a Council majority and dragged his feet at establishing any oversight committee. July and August breezed by with nothing. It looked like that would happen in September, too, until District Attorney Steve Baratta released the findings of an Investigative Grand Jury highly critical of Gracedale's administration. 

Now the committee has been established and Kraft named Keegan the Chair even though she voted against it. He also put himself on the committee, although he voted against it, too. 

The Chair should have been Holland, who not only proposed the idea of a Gracedale Oversight Committee, but was also himself an administrator there and elsewhere. 

Near the end of last week's meeting of Northampton County Council (September 17), Holland suggested that it's time for the governing body to decide how committee members are appointed. Holland pointed out that though the Home Rule Charter provides that the Council President (currently Ken Kraft) has the authority to preside at meetings, nothing in either the Charter or its rules and regulations governing the conduct of meetings invests Council President with the authority to members to Council's various standing committees. That has been a matter of tradition rather than law. He believes the President should nominate the committee members and Chairs, but the vote to confirm should be made by Council's nine-member body. 

This matter has been referred to Council's Governance committee, which is next scheduled to meet in October. 

If Council does decide to take control of committee appointments, it should do so by ordinance so that it binds future county councils. 

What Government Reforms Would You Like to See - Part 2

Yesterday, I presented you with a list of governmental reforms that many of us would like to see. The comments were quite interesting.  

One person, likely a member of NorCo Council, attacked me for supporting term limits for county offices. I do believe term limits for state and federal office are way overdue. But the truth is that I never supported term limits on a county level and consider that a gray area. I would oppose them for offices like borough council or township supervisor because those offices pay very little but take up a lot of time. It is hard to attract good people. On the county level, I did support letting the people decide the question in a referendum. This was opposed by former Council members Kevin Lott, Ron Heckman and Tara Zrinski. It was also opposed by former Exec Lamont McClure, whose veto had to be overridden. One person suggested that a term limits bill should be called the Bob Freeman Act. 

Most of you would like to see some form of open primaries but a few of you would limit voters to party members. I know that outfits like Working Families oppose open primaries and I think this is probably because the only way they can get one of their more extreme candidates nominated is through a closed primary. 

One of you, a reader named Hoople, had a great idea. "If you cannot vote for a candidate - do not live in the area they will represent - you cannot contribute to their campaign. Exceptions for relatives - if your, for example, son is running for office and lives out the area, you can make a small donation to the campaign.

" "If you are a paid elected official and you vote for a tax increase, your pay is adjusted down by the percent you approved. 17% tax increase? Your pay takes a 17% cut.

"If you are a paid elected official, you cannot endorse candidates at campaign events. Writing an op-ed in support is sufficient. No more using a paid day to travel and rally for someone."

I've begun work on a post detailing elected officials who accept donations from their subordinates as well as people who have business interests with the municipality they represent. It is a fairly widespread pratice, but I consider it a form of soft corruption that should be banned. I expect to bring you that story in a day or two.

What Governmental Reforms Would You Like to See?

Below is a list of government reforms proposed, way back in 2016, by Ron Beitler (now a Lehigh County Comm'r), myself and a few readers. These were sent to then Governor Tom Wolf and the Lehigh Valley delegation to the state house and senate. I never received a reply.  

These are neither Republican nor Democratic proposals. You either believe in good government or you don't. Feel free to add any suggestions you have. 

1. Term limits now and tweak the terms. Three four-year terms for State Reps. Two six-year terms for State Senators. A two-year term for State Reps is too short. They have to start campaigning for the next election virtually the day after they win. (I would oppose term limits for municipal offices because it is hard enough to attract people.)

2. Reduce the size of PA government so state rep districts have 85,000 people within. This is small enough to maintain constituent services at the current level, but large enough to eliminate 52 positions entirely.

3. Eliminate pensions for elected officials. Salaries for a full-time state legislator should be adjusted to be the median for the district represented. It is a full-time job, but not a career. Pensions are for career positions.

4. Enact Resign-to-run rules that would apply to any full-time elected position that draws a taxpayer funded salary.  Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley should not be able to use the perks of his office as a springboard to the state senate. The only exception is if the candidate is in the final year of his term.  

5. End gerrymandering by establishing independent commissions to do the redistricting. (The current commission is appointed by incumbents to help them keep their jobs.  

6. Require all candidates for statewide office to file campaign finance reports electronically so the people know immediately how the campaign is being funded. Too many candidates refuse to file electronically, and the state elections office is never in a hurry to get reports online.  Each county government should adopt ordinances requiring that campaign finance reports be posted on the county webpage within 24 hours of filing. (NorCo lists campaign finance reports, but this is at the whim of the Exec, who could change her mid tomorrow. County Council needs to adopt an ordinance requiring their publication).

7. Ban the use of campaign funds for criminal defense.

8. Increase penalties for noncompliance with state campaign finance laws and continue the requirement that a candidate pay for violations out of his own personal funds.

9. All local governments should be required to provide an Internet broadcast of every meeting. If it is too expensive, the government should be dissolved.

10. Ban gifts of any kind, on a state and local level.

12. Require receipts for per diem payments.

13. Allow independent voters to participate in Primary Elections.

14. Ban local governments and school districts from attaching risky derivative "swaps" to their debt.

15. Ban candidates or elected officials from using campaign funds to make contributions to any other PAC or candidate committee. This prevents money laundering and ensures that money given to a candidate is used only for his campaign.

16. Limit campaign expenses to year of election requiring forfeiture of unspent monies. Eliminate rolling campaign accounts and expenditures in non election years. I believe district magistrates must spend it or lose it and cannot accumulate funds when they are unopposed. Similar rules for everybody.

17. LIST candidates on the ballot (per office) in random order with no party affiliation attached.

18. In addition to term limits, place "None of the Above" on the ballot for every elective office. If "None of the Above" wins a majority or plurality of the votes, the other candidates are disqualified and a new slate of candidates (including "None of the Above") must be drawn for a new election. Lather, rinse and repeat until someone other than "None of the Above" receives a majority of the votes.

*****

Some new ideas 

19. Limit both individual and PAC contributions to $1,000 a year. 

20. Ban all public employees from contributing to candidates in races for the municipality by which they are employed. 

21. Prohibit all individuals who contribute to candidates for a specific municipality from having any form of business relationship with that municipality for a period of two years after making the contribnution. 

How Does Gracedale Stack Up With Other Lehigh Valley Nursing Homes?

I've spent a lot of time covering the problems at Gracedale over the past several years. This home gets a lot of coverage from me because something always is going on there and it is publicly owned. It also recently attracted the attention of a NorCo Investigating Grand Jury. Is it packed with lies and perjury, as Zrinski asserted just last week? And what about other nursing homes in Northampton and Lehigh County?  Are they even worse, as NorCo Exec Tara Zrinski has suggested during a county council meeting? I've reviewed the Department of Health and ProPublica inspection records for nursing homes in Northampton and Lehigh counties from 2024 to present. They reveal numerous deficiencies since 2024, ranging from relatively minor regulatory violations to findings classified as posing immediate jeopardy to residents’ health or safety. Gracedale is among the worst. 

What is a deficiency? It means inspectors determined that a facility failed to meet a federal or state requirement. The seriousness of those deficiencies, however, varies considerably.

The most significant findings involve deficiencies classified as J, K or L, the highest levels on the federal scope-and-severity scale. Recent federal data identify J-level findings at both Gracedale and Bethlehem South, while Phoebe Allentown had a K-level infection-control finding in 2025.

Gracedale

It appears that the coverage I've given is warranted. It has had more than 20 deficiencies since 2024.

Among the most serious was a J-level finding in May 2026 , which occurred six months after Exec. Zrinski assumed office. It involved a failure to ensure that the nursing-home environment was free of accident hazards and that residents received adequate supervision to prevent accidents. Federal records classified it as immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety, affecting a few residents.

Gracedale also had a serious finding in September 2025 involving resident assessment and care planning. Pennsylvania Department of Health's inspection records document the September 23, 2025 abbreviated survey and resulting deficiencies.

Inspection records also show a K-level staffing finding in May 2026 (5 months after Exec. Zrinski was in office), determining that Gracedale did not provide enough nursing staff every day to meet residents' needs and did not have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift. That finding was classified as immediate jeopardy and resulted in a $21,756 fine. The Pennsylvania Department of Health's inspection database shows that a subsequent abbreviated survey completed August 10, 2026 found no deficient practice related to the particular complaint allegations investigated during that survey. 

Bethlehem South

Bethlehem South Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has accumulated 28 deficiencies in the current federal reporting record.

Its most significant recent finding came from a June 9, 2026 complaint inspection. Inspectors cited the facility at the J level, finding that it failed to protect residents from abuse and neglect. J means immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety. The facility also had two D-level deficiencies in an April 29, 2026 complaint inspection involving pressure-ulcer care and bowel and bladder care. The inspection resulted in a $27,378 fine. Pennsylvania's inspection records subsequently reported that the deficiencies cited in the June 30, 2026 survey had been corrected by the July 17 revisit.

Bethlehem North

Bethlehem North Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center also has a substantial number of deficiencies. A February 2026 standard inspection identified deficiencies involving such areas as nutrition, treatment and care, resident notification, activities of daily living, range of motion and infection control.

A May 2026 complaint investigation also produced an E-level deficiency involving the failure to timely report suspected abuse, neglect or theft.

The pattern illustrates why simply counting deficiencies can be misleading. A facility can accumulate a large number of D- or E-level findings without those findings reaching the immediate-jeopardy level.

Phoebe Allentown

Phoebe Allentown Health Care Center had 13 deficiencies, one of which was particularly serious. An August 19, 2025 complaint inspection produced a K-level infection-control deficiency. Inspectors found that the facility failed to provide and implement an effective infection-prevention and control program. The finding was classified as immediate jeopardy and involved some residents.

A July 2025 standard inspection produced three additional D-level deficiencies involving resident rights, range of motion/mobility and accident hazards or supervision. That inspection also resulted in an $11,087 fine.

Interestingly, Gracedale Administrator Michelle Morton came to NorCo from Phoebe. At last week's County Council meeting, Zrinski stated that she visited that home to pick up a few pointers. Why she'd visit a home with a K-level deficiency is beyond me. 

Cedarbrook

Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehabilitation has accumulated 16 deficiencies in the current federal record. This is Lehigh County's public home. The deficiencies are all minor involving resident rights, assessments, activities of daily living, resident care, accident hazards, dietary equipment, infection control and reporting of suspected abuse or neglect. They've all been corrected. 

Complete Care at Lehigh

Complete Care at Lehigh LLC has 12 deficiencies. They include deficiencies involving food handling and storage, pressure-ulcer care and pharmacy services. Most of its recent deficiencies were classified at the D level — meaning no actual harm was identified but there was potential for more than minimal harm.

Northampton Post Acute

Northampton Post Acute has 15 deficiencies. A May 2026 standard inspection identified four D-level deficiencies, including problems involving resident rights, care planning and accident hazards or supervision. Those deficiencies were documented as corrected during a June 2026 revisit.

Easton Skilled Nursing

Easton Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation has 20 deficiencies. They include repeated issues involving resident care and activities of daily living.

A December 2025 inspection produced nine health deficiencies, most at the D level.

An April 2026 complaint inspection also cited the facility for an infection-control deficiency.

The Gardens at Easton

The Gardens at Easton, including its memory-care operation, has had several deficiencies during the period examined, generally at the lower levels of the severity scale.

What the severity ratings mean

The federal nursing-home inspection system uses a scope-and-severity system that ranges from relatively minor deficiencies to immediate jeopardy.

D, E and F indicate no actual harm was found, although there was potential for more than minimal harm. G, H and I indicate actual harm that did not rise to immediate jeopardy. J, K and L represent immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety.

Consequently, a nursing home with 20 D-level deficiencies should not automatically be considered more problematic than a facility with fewer deficiencies that includes a J- or K-level finding. The nature and seriousness of the deficiencies matter at least as much as the raw number.

What the records do show is that several nursing homes in Northampton and Lehigh counties have experienced recurring regulatory problems since 2024. Gracedale, Bethlehem South and Phoebe Allentown have each had recent deficiencies classified at the immediate-jeopardy level. 

The good news is that Gracedale is making strides to improve. Just last week, Northampton County Council voted to raise the wages for nurse supervisors to a level that is competitive and should attract professionals. Executive Tara Zrinski has stated this is only the beginning of changes to compensation. In six visits from the state Department of Health since May, no deficiencies have been found.  Gracedale Oversight Committee has been established, although it has yet to meet. 

Zrinski Announces that New Parking Deck Construction to Start in October

At last week's NorCo Council meeting, Executive Tara Zrinski announced that work on a new parking deck for the courthouse campus will begin in October. This work was supposed to have started in July, but had to be postponed because the bidder failed to comply with the county's responsible contractor ordinance. 

This is a good time to consider a bus, bicycle or one of those dreaded e-bikes savaged on the season opener of South Park America. 

NorCo Council Increases Salaries for 26 Gracedale Nursing Supervisors

At Thursday night's meeting, Northampton County Council voted 7-0 (Ken Kraft and Tom Giovanni were absent) to increase the salaries of 26 nursing supervisors at Gracedale. The wage increases will go to 9 full-time, 8 part-time and 9 per-diem nursing supervisors. This was recommended in an outside performance audit of Gracedale nursing home back in 2023 and was recommended repeatedly by Council members over the past two years to attract and retain the county workforce and reduce reliance on outside agency nurses. 

Unfortunately, the Council Clerk failed to attach supporting documents to the agenda and thus it is impossible to tell you the exact amount of these increases. The paygrade is set with room for these career service employees to get step increases as they go through annual reviews. According to Executive Tara Zrinski, the wage starts at about $52 an hour. She indicated that previous administrations have been reluctant to give step increases and noted that long-time employees would get the same pay as people who are recently hired.

Council member Jason Boulette noted that his reading of Career Service Regulations and the Employee Policy Manual led him to believe that every career service employee who gets a positive evaluation should get a step increase. "Listen, I just got here," said Zrinski. She noted she could only state the past history, and said the budget does limit what can be done.

Currently, only two of these positions are actually filled by county employees. The rest are vacant. 

Council member Dave Holland asked about other front-line nursing positions and was told that this is just the beginning of the salary review process.  

Elder Abuse Charged at Moravian Hall Sqaure

As many readers of this blog are aware, I have been highly critical of the way that the county administration has responded to problems at Gracedale, our publicly owned nursing home. While it particularly bothers me to see elder abuse or neglect at a publicly owned facility, it can also happen in more private settings that get less attention. A case in point is Moravian Hall Square, which is often held up as the gold standard that everyone else should try to emulate. While that might be generally true, Nazareth police have charged a CNA employed there with elder abuse (abuse of a care dependent person).  

According to the online blotter known as Crimewatch, "On September 10, 2026, at 10:34 AM, Nazareth Police responded to a report of elder abuse at Moravian Hall Square, located at 175 North Street. Upon arrival, officers spoke with the reporting party, who stated that a resident's husband had reported observing bruises on his wife's body in the area of her wrist. An internal investigation was conducted by Moravian Hall Square staff, resulting in the accused being placed on administrative leave pending further notice. The police were subsequently contacted, and an investigation was launched, involving interviews with the alleged offender and others connected to the incident. The Northampton County District Attorney's office was notified of the allegations. Following the completion of the investigation, charges were filed against the accused individual.

The accused indicidual is Lindsey Roberts, age 43. According to LinkedIn, Roberts is a CNA at Moravian Hall Square. 

Interestingly, I am unable to locate this case in the Unified Judicial System Portal.