NorCo Jail on Track for $4.5 Million in OT in 2026

DeeAnn Lawrence, Northampton County's Corrections Director, told County Council in April that there were just 161 corrections officers (COs) in a jail even though there should be 212. Things are going from bad to worse. 

Brandon Dunstane, the county's budget administrator, reviewed the county's finances over the first half of this year. We all recognize that the vacancies at the jail create a stressful environment for staffers who can be and are mandated to pull 16-hour shifts.  But this also places huge financial burden on the county. 

Dunstane told Council Prez Ken Kraft that corrections officers are now down to 135 from what was reported in April. As a result, it has already burned through its $2 million overtime budget for 2026.  Dunstane believes the county is on track to spend $4.5 million in OT, more than twice the budget. 

The county's second largest financial concern is Gracedale, the county-owned nursing home. Dunstane noted that the county adopted a budget amendment early in 2026 to make a $6.8 million county contribution to the nursing home because it ended 2025 with a $6.8 million deficit. 

After this contribution, however, it soon became apparent that Gracedale was not as badly off as originally thought. Some of its Medicaid applications (Gracedale usually has about 100 Medicaid applications outstanding at any given moment), were approved during the first three months of 2026, and this reduced the $6.8 million deficit to just $3.6 million.  As a result, Gracedale has a fund balance of $3.2 million which might be large enough to cover this year's deficit. 

Dunstance stated that Gracedale's deficit at the end of June was $1.1 million with an average census of 475. This is below the 520 census needed to break even, and it continues to drop and is currently in the 460s. Dunstane predicts the census at year's end may be more than $2.2 million. But if I understand him correctly, a county contribution for 2026 might be unnecessary because of its $3.2 million fund balance. 

He also mentioned a few other items of interest.

Dunstane indicated that the cost of the daycare at Gracedale comes out of the Human Resources budget. I believe this more appropriately belongs with Gracedale budget since this perk exists for Gracedale employees. 

Durstane indicated that two county sheriff cars were totaled and had to be replaced. 

He finally indicated that Executive Tara Zrinski, who can be seen just about everywhere, is blowing through her travel budget for 2026. He will be seeking a small increase for her to continue to attend conferences and lobby for the county. 

Allentown's Redevelopment Authority Playing Games With Toy Factory

Back in January, Allentown's Redevelopment Authority (ARA) voted to issue what is known as a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the old toy factory located at 725 10th Street. Amazingly, two then members of this five-person board (Jessica Ortiz and Christopher Raad), just happen to be realtors. No conflict there. 

Unlike a sealed bid, a request for proposals gives the selectors a lot of wiggle room. They can actually award a project based on factors other than price, though I'd hope that a governmental entity would at least try to be frugal. 

Surprise, surprise! That's not what happened with the Toy Factory. There were two proposals, and the ARA is going with the one that makes the least sense, at least for now. A lawsuit recently filed by Nat Hyman, whose proposal was rejected, has thrown a monkey wrench into things.

Though he actually lives in Allentown and is one of the very few developers who actually has a track record of successful projects inside the Queen City. But he's no ass-kisser and generally refuses to bend the knee to those local governmental officials who can be both supercilious and officious.  

Hyman proposed buying the Toy Factory for $410,000, about $10,000 more than it cost the ARA. The stated purpose of the RFP was to create workforce and affordable housing. Hyman proposed 20 affordable apartments and would be able to provide parking on the site with no need for off-street parking. 

Hyman has a history of 41 projects creating 1,480 apartments. None of these has ever required any taxpayer assistance, no matter how blighted the property may have been.

What about the other proposal? That came from Warren Lim, another realtor who has done 4 projects with 26 apartments. Unlike Hyman, his deal is contingent upon his ability to obtain financing for $1.39 million. Lim had two alternatives. On both of his options the ARA would lose between $50,000 and $100,000 over what it spent to acquire the toy factory. Option A would provide just 6 apartments, a daycare and no off-street parking. The other would create just 12 apartments with no on-site parking. 

It gets better. After both proposals were submitted, Lim was called in for a back room meeting with three of the five authority members, which certainly appears to be a Sunshine Act No No, along with staffers like Vicky Kistler, who reputedly smeared Hyman for daring to insist in an unrelated matter that a homeless encampment was a public safety nuisance. 

After that back-room meeting, the ARA decided that Lim, and not Hyman, was the best choice. That's right. They went with the project under which taxpayers will actually lose money. They are backing a project that is contingent on financing. They are backing a project that will result in less affordable housing.

Along the way, Alan Jennings, who participated in that private meeting along with a quorum of the authority, condescended from his self-adulation to instruct Hyman to apologize for telling the authority that they are full of shit. (figuratively, of course). 

Hyan sued instead. 

By the by, the authority also awarded realtor Lim the project at 540 W Hamilton. 

Governing Notes Allentown Mayor's Push For SNAP

Governing, one of my favorite online sources for local government, published a story yesterday about Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk. He is one of about 200 mayors asking the Senate to roll back or delay SNAP benefits.

According to Tuerk, about 6,000 people in the Pa. 7th are among the 4 million people who have lost benefits so far. And this is just the beginning. 

Under Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, states will have to assume more of the administrative costs and implement work requirements. If Arizona is any indication, people are in for a rude awakening. In that state, which implemented changes ahead of schedule, half of its food stamp beneficiaries are now off the rolls. This is not the result of fraud elimination but is instead the result of staff shortages and paperwork errors.

 

Tuerk referred to these during his interview: 

"I talked to a woman outside a bodega last week who was on a two-mile walk back from the county assistance office. She had just filed her SNAP benefits renewal paperwork. She's going to have to keep doing that, and at some point, she’s not going to fill out the right form, or something's not going to happen the right way. She’ll lose her benefits."

Tuerk, who grew up using an orange card so he could eat lunch, said his family relied on food stamps to get by. He explains how the loss of this benefit would affect Allentown: 

"When people are facing food insecurity, it changes everything. If they were counting on SNAP benefits to offset the cost of food, and now they can't count on that, it exacerbates rent challenges and can contribute to homelessness. People who are food insecure face health challenges that show up for our emergency responders.

"When our chief of police looks at an environment in which people don't have ready access to food stamps, his concern is that there'll be greater instances of retail theft as people do what they have to do to put food on the table."

I've seen those who always have an angle and know how to milk the system. They will sell their food stamps for cash or cigarettes. But I see many more who simply do not get enough. 

Jim Martin Made a Difference in Lehigh County

div>Crimefighters are often called bulldogs. I would not use that term to describe former Lehigh County DA Jim Martin, that county's top prosecutor for 26 years. He was not the flashy matador, but the raging bull. I've seen him angry at Lehigh County Comm'r meetings during budget hearings, with steam billowing from his nose and ears as he looked ready to ram headfirst into the dais that protects Commissioners from the running of the bulls. His life, like all our lives, has ended the same way that every life does. He unfortunately passed away on Saturday. But the way he lived his life sets him apart. He left the world, and Lehigh County, a little bit better than it was before he got here. 

A Measles Outbreak in Pa.

In 2024, Pennsylvania reported six cases of measles. In 2025, there were 16. This year, there have been 216 cases through August 10, according to the CDC. (The state places the number at 258). Of these cases, 145 are in Lancaster County. So far, there are 2 cases in Lehigh and 0 in Northampton County. 

This outbreak has prompted Governor Josh Shapiro to launch a measles dashboard, which contains data about the ages of those infected and where it has hit hardest. 

Surprisingly, those between 18 and 49 have been targeted the most. 

People born before 1957 are presumptively immune.

MAHA Warrior RFK,Jr., who has spent most of his adult career disparaging vaccines (including the measles vaccine), is now telling people to have their children vaccinated, noting it is 97% effective (in two doses). In Lancaster County, where Pa.'s outbreak is most severe, RFK, Jr. told 1,500 people at an annual farming fair, warned the Amish about agencies encouraging people to get vaccinated. "[T]hey cannot stand the fact that you're healthy," he said. 

Now they're not.