Jeff Warren's Proposal for Public Database of Blighted Properties Panned by NorCo Council

By a 6-2 vote, Northampton County Council voted last week to reject a proposal (you can read it here) by Council member Jeff Warren to establish a public database for blighted properties inside the county. He only had support from Council member Kelly Keegan. 

Warren, who is running for State Rep and would probably like to be Council President next year, claimed that blighted properties and absentee landlords are becoming more prevalent, and thinks a county-wide public database, administered by the county, would apparently shame owners into remediating code violations. "We have a ton of properties that are being neglected," said Warren, who added that this is "an aging community."

It certainly is, and I'll be the first to admit I am very blighted. I am listed as such on several public databases.

After reading the resolution in its entirety, which took about five minutes and with the usual rhetorical emphasis at certain points, Warren gave an equally lengthy sermon in response to a question from Council member Ron Heckman, who simply wanted to know how much it would cost. After about five minutes of pontificating, Warren eventually admitted he did not know.

Heckman, who incidentally has great hair but is otherwise also blighted, had his own soliloquy. He pointed out that the county exists for very limited purpose (courts, county bridges, election and administration of human services) and is barely able to do that. "We have an infinite need and finite resources," he said. "I don't want us to get into zoning and code enforcement or anything like that." He derided Warren's proposal as "more empire building than anything else." He said Warren's idea is "far afield" from what "county government is all about." 

Council member Ken Kraft, who once served on Bethlehem's Zoning Hearing Board, agreed with Heckman. "This is overreaching," he said. "This is not in our purview. ... We don't set zoning codes. We don't set those laws. They've nothing to do with us." He added that when Wilson Borough's Dixie factory "went to Hell" for 40 years, the municipality did nothing to correct it.

Kraft is also blighted. 

Of course, Warren had to respond again. He admitted that the state is considering a statewide database, which has passed the House. This begs the question why the county would need to do it as well.   

By the way, what the hell is blight anyway? Some might think pink flamingos look great while others think they are tacky. Some people like the natural look in their yards while others insist on mowing every 30 seconds. Council member John Brown noted that definition is far from uniform. 

I am concerned that this could be weaponized to shame elderly and low-income property owners who simply lack the resources to maintain properties to the highest standard. As for absentee landlords, do you really think they will care if their blighted property is listed on a public website?  That's why they are absentees. 

So yes, like Kraft and Heckman, I agree this is way beyond why county government exists. But unlike them, I think this is a terribly stupid idea. 

73 Court-Appointed Employees to Get $450,410 Raise

At last week's meeting of Northampton County Council, a pay raise totaling $450,410 was approved for 73 court-appointed employees. Thy include domestic relations conference officers, probation officers, pretrial services officers, law clerks, supervisors and even the court's accountant. The salaries were approved mostly by a 7-1 vote, with Ken Kraft dissenting and John Goffredo being absent. (You can see the numerous positions involved here.)

Earlier that week, President Judge Craig Dally told Council that the majority of these employees were at one time part of a union, but disbanded in 2019. When that happened, these employees should have been moved from union to career service PayScales, but they were never moved over as they should have been. 

Were these employees being punished for decertifying from a union? What I can say is that when they disbanded, the county initially refused to give them a retroactive 2% payraise that was slotted for career service workers that year. Two of Council's former members, both of whom just happened to be union agents, wanted to stiff these workers. And initially, they succeeded. "They made the choice to leave the union and that was their choice," said Kevin Lott at the time. He was among four Council members (including then Council member Tara Zrinski and now Council President Lori Vargo Heffner) who voted to deny these workers a pittance that would cost the county a grand total of $69,000 for 64 court-appointed professionals. 

Though this raise was eventually passed, these former union members were never moved over to the higher career service PayScales. 

"I wasn't aware of this," said Judge Dally. "Had I known, I would have come here sooner." 

Judge Dally was under the impression that these raises were going to be part of the 2026 budget, but was that never happened, either. 

This could be a misunderstanding. It could also be an administration intent on punishing employees for having left the union.  

Interestingly, the one Council member who balked at this migration was Ken Kraft, himself a former union agent. He was more than willing to let these employees stew in the wages of an expired union contract that was at least 6 years old. 

These raises are effective now, not next year. Judge Dally told Council he had the money in his budget to cover it. 

Proposal to Double NorCo's Rainy Day Fund Fails By a 4-4 Vote

At last night's meeting, Northampton County Council nixed a proposal to double its rainy-day fund from 5% to 10% of general fund expenditures. The measure, which required five votes to become county law, was supported by Council members John Brown, Jeff Corpora, Tom Giovanni and Lori Vargop Heffner. It was opposed by Council members Ken Kraft, Kelly Keegan, Jeff Warren and Ron Heckman. Council member John Goffredo, who could have tipped the balance one way or the other, was absent.

Before the vote, incoming Executive Tara Zrinski told Council that she already has serious reservations about the budget proposed for next year. (I outlined them here). She also opposes doubling the rainy-day fund. "Let's call this what it is," she said. "It is an unfunded mandate that fails to meet our statutory and moral obligations while burdening future administrations and misleading the public on fiscal stabilization." She called the 10% figure an "arbitrary hurdle that is out of step with the intent of GASB (Governmental Accounting Standards Board) That intent, she asserted, is "clarity and transparency, not artificial inflation of reserves for optics over substance." 

She is particularly irked that Council would even consider this ordinance in the face of a proposed budget that already "slashes essential services" like two prison rehabilitation programs. She noted that a 10% rainy-day fund would require her administration to pony up approximately an additional $8 million. She added her displeasure at the failure to fund the pension fund for retirees. "This is not good government. It is an act of willful neglect."

Council member Ron Heckman said he agreed with many of the points made by Zrinski as well as Council member Ken Kraft's warning the previous day that doubling the rainy-day fund would make a tax hike necessary. He agreed that "10% is a bit of a reach," and proposed increasing it to a more manageable 7%. His suggestion failed. Only Council members Vargo Heffner, Giovanni and Corpora agreed with him. The remaining members present (Kraft, Keegan, Corpora and Brown) voted No. 

John Brown argued that the rainy-day fund needs to be doubled as a matter of fiscal responsibility. "I believe we'd be having a very different conversation today if the state budget had not passed," he observed. Just two weeks before, he noted that 170 county employees were in danger of being furloughed. He did agree that NorCo finances are in dire straits, and predicted that in mid-January, the county will have to take $10-15 million from the general fund for Gracedale to cover a deficit. 

Heckman, like Kraft the day before, said there would need to be a tax hike to find the money. Keegan pointedly asked Brown if he'd support a tax hike to double the rainy-day fund. He said No, but provided no suggestions about where the county could find the money. 

Vargo Heffner proposed changing the effective date of the new rainy-day fund until 2028, but that measure died for lack of a second.  

She then warned, "We're going to have to raise taxes anyway. It's coming. Just plan on it." 

So ends the attempt to beef up the county's rainy-day fund. 

Should NorCo Council Double Its Rainy-Day Fund Even If It Means Tax Hike?

Over the past year, NorCo has watched the money well run dangerously low.  On the federal level, there was a record-setting shutdown because Democratic senators refused to go along with a continuing resolution to keep the government going with a continuing resolution. There was similar gridlock from the state, which was unable to adopt a budget until very recently. In the absence of federal and state funding, important human services administered through the county were in serious danger of interruption. Had the crisis continued, there is little doubt that the county would be forced to use its rainy-day fund. But is it set high enough? Executive Lamont McClure has proposed $8.6 million in next year's budget for what is more technically known as its stabilization fund. That is slightly more than the 5% of the year's expected total spending and this complies with current county law. But NorCo County Council is poised to vote tonight on a new ordinance that would require 10% of a year's expenditures to be kept in reserve.  The only way that money could be spent would be with the approval of County Council. 

This ordinance is set to take effect at the beginning of 2027. It will basically force incoming Exec Tara Zrinski to seek a tax hike to garner the funds needed for this surplus. Is this a good or bad idea? This is a subject that was discussed at a Council committee meeting last night. 

Though the ordinance is sponsored by Council members John Brown and Jeff Corpora, it was President Lori Vargo Heffner who took ownership last night. "I'm the one who initiated this," she said, explaining that the convergence of the federal and state shutdown made her think an increase is necessary because there is "no wiggle room" at 5%. "If something like this happens again, we're in trouble. We don't have money." 

Council member Ken Kraft opposed the idea. He agreed that the combined shutdown and budget impasse put the county "in a pickle," but that the only way to increase that rainy day fund in 2027 would be to propose a tax hike next year, and this would be unfair to incoming Exec Zrinski. Council member Kelly Keegan likened the situation to moving out of a house and shacking the new owner "with a hideous color of pink."

Council member John Brown explained that the rainy-day fund was much higher but was reduced by $11.8 million in last year's budget. He said the fund was used to balance the budget instead of being kept in reserve for emergencies. Brown tried to restore the funding in last year's budget, but his efforts failed because his proposals would have thrown the budget out of balance. "That's what led us to where we are today," he concluded.

Kraft countered that what McClure (and County Council) did was still in compliance with county law because the rainy-day fund was still higher than the required minimum. "I understand what you're trying to do by tying [Zrinski's] hands, but I don't really want to do that at this point to a new administration." 

There is speculation among some that this is actually a mean-spirited effort to force Zrinski to raise taxes during her first year in office. The counter argument is that a larger reserve is really necessary. Aside from emergencies like those faced this year, the county is going to have to pay more if it wants to keep good employees, keep the retirement fund fluid and continue paying health benefits. 

If the Council members who support this increase have no political motives, then I'd suggest that they also pledge to increase the tax rate to enable incoming Exec Zrinski to do their biddibg. Let the political faoout, if any, be on them and not on her. 

NorCo's Final Turnout in Municipal Races Has Nearly Doubled Since 2015

At yesterday's meeting of Northampton County's Elections Commission, Voter Registrar Chris Commini said he was "elated" by a 40.2% turnout in what is usually considered a sleepy municipal race. He has good reason to be pleased, if not also a little tired. Review of previous elections results reveal that turnout in municipal elections has nearly doubled since 2015. In that year, turnout was 21.13%. It increased in 2017 (22.54%) and 2019 (28.05%). This increased to 32.50% in 2021 and 33.18% in 2023. While kitchen table issues are probably the main reason for this increased interest, it's undeniable that mail-in ballots (MIBs), ballot-by demand (called "early voting" by some), and drop boxes have made voting more convenient. Provisional balloting has also played a role in ensuring that votes are counted.

Election day ballots (61,339) still outnumbered MIBs (30,542) by a factor of nearly 2 to 1. In addition, people uncertain of their status are voting provisionally. In this year's race, 343 provisional ballots were counted. 

Do drop boxes help increase turnout? According to Commini, 6,400 votes came in from the 7 drop boxes throughout the county. In addition, 457 voters exercised "ballot by demand" at the courthouse and another 44 received MIBs at the Fowler Center.

There are risks to MIBs. If you wait too long to use the post office, you run the risk of having your ballot arrive too late to be counted. You could forget to sign or date the return envelope. But the biggest issue is the problem of "naked ballots." These are ballots from voters who fail to place their MIB in a secrecy envelope to ensure that their vote is private. If a voter makes this mistake, his vote will be automatically invalidated. Elections Solicitor Michael Vargo said ballot sorting machines can sometimes sense that there is no secrecy envelope, and in those cases, attempts are made to contact the voter. But even with this precaution, he said that there are still a "regrettable number" of naked ballots that are only discovered on election day when the envelopes are opened. Those ballots are voided.

How about write-ins? Registrar  Commini said there were a staggering number of 9,400 write-ins, but only 593 were legitimate. There were 114 ties, mostly in races for judges of election and other elections workers. Those ties will be decided by a casting of the lots on Friday. 

Were there problems with the machines on election day? Commini reported that one precinct in Forks was supplied with an additional voting machine because of long lines. At Gracedale, a machine broke down and a replacement was provided. In a Lower Saucon precinct with three machines, one machine had a broken interior cable, but the judge of elections said he could make do with two. In Lehigh Tp, one precinct experienced a power outage, but machines were able to operate on battery until power was restored.  

Two problems occurred before election day. One involved MIBs for Easton's West Ward City Council race. The other concerned the voting machine ballot design for cross-filed candidates.  

Easton West Ward's City Council race was between Julie Zando Dennis and Sharbel Koorie. As a result of human error, one voter received the wrong ballot. Commini said he thought this was an "isolated" error but nevertheless took action. He determined that 50 ballots went out to the affected precinct on October 1, the same day wrong ballot was sent. Attempts were made to contact these voters by phone and email. New ballots were sent to these voters as well. 29 voters returned a replacement ballot. 12 voters returned the original ballot. 2 requested to keep original ballot, 3 went to the precinct and voted provisionally or surrendered their ballot to be able to vote on the machine. 4 did not return the ballot or vote in person. 

I have previously written about the ballot design on voting machines for cross-filed candidates, who are listed only under one party. This differs from the design on write-in ballots. President Judge Craig Dally has concluded that the ballot design as it appeared on the voting machine is legal, but Commini and Vargo were both questioned about the possibility of making the voting machine ballot identical to what appears on the mail-in ballot, which makes no party differentiation. Both said they would need to discuss this possibility with the voting machine vendor.   

Elections Comm'r Scott Hough complained that the county refused to schedule a "special meeting" the day before the election, which Solicitor Vargo told him was logistically impossible. It was, after all, the day before the election. But Hough said that when things go south, as they sometimes do, it is the elections commission that gets scapegoated. 

He also found it odd that the elections office refused to allow him and another Commissioner to view the machine ballot on the machine, especially when their signatures are on the ballot. He and other members agreed the elections commission needs to have more than four scheduled meetings a year and should be able to review the ballot before it becomes official. 

Before the meeting ended, Commini expressed his thanks to his Deputy, Amy Hess, who has been a steady hand in years of elections. He appreciates his staff, who actually conduct four elections in one cycle (MIBs, ballot by demand, precent voting and satellite offices). He was also grateful to employees in other departments, from maintenance to court administration, as well as retirees. 

Though there are bumps in the road in nearly every election, especially municipal races, this was about as good as it gets.