But Hunter is staying. Not as Director of Fiscal Affairs, but in a position where he will be able to order attorneys around and demand that they be in three places at once.
That's because Judge Emil Giordano has hired Hunter as a tipstaff. Jim's salary will drop precipitously, but he will get full medical benefits.
Hunter brought his grandson to work yesterday. This young man just happens to be the ball boy for Easton High School's boys varsity basketball team. He was proudly wearing a badge that Northampton County sheriffs gave him. He said his favorite person is his Poppy.
"If you could do anything you wanted, what would it be?" I asked.
"Play basketball," he answered without hesitation.
His father, Ben Childs, is the coach at Easton, and has turned the team around. They are young, and in two years, will be the team to beat.
Childs is Hunter's son-in-law, so Jim goes to all the games. But he is secretly a Central Catholic High School fan.
In an effort to get Hunter fired before he starts, something I've never done before, I relayed all this information to Judge Giordano. He's a huge Bethlehem Catholic fan, where his 19' tall son Caden plays both baseball and basketball.
But the Judge had already done a background check and is hiring Hunter anyway. "I've decided to overlook this obvious flaw," said Giordano.
Hunter incidentally lives in Pen Argyl. If you ever visit that slate belt oasis, you may notice a peculiar odor. It's not coming from the landfill. It just means Hunter is home.
Who's replacing Hunter? It's no secret that McClure intends to nominate Steve Barron, the County's current Controller, as the finance maven. If confirmed, Barron's salary will increase substantially from the current $65,000 per year. Hunter is currently paid $93,000.
Barron is a graduate of Freedom High School, where he claims to have played football I understand he is now an accomplished Irish dancer, and plans to perform Riverdance when McClure is sworn in.
