Mayor Bob Donchez invited media to city hall March 19 to overhear another announced return to past practices in his very new administration.

Two weeks ago Donchez and Police Chief Mark DiLuzio said they are returning foot patrol beat cops to the downtowns, and now the mayor is reinstituting a financial advisory committee to help brainstorm options for the city's continued fiscal solvency.

He said a similar committee existed in the city years ago, and this new task force will work with new city Business Administrator Dave Brong and his team.

Donchez said, "I hope at the end of the day there will be some recommendations that will come from working with the administration's team … basically we're looking into how to do more with less, make government more efficient, see if there's anything we can streamline, but also look at idea and suggestions that maybe we've overlooked or never discussed before."

Brong said, "This administration recognizes that we have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us in the city to ensure financial sustainability. We have some great ideas in city hall for increasing our revenues and decreasing our expenses, however the implementation is challenging."

Brong said the committee will serve to challenge concepts, help refine current thinking and add fresh perspective to those immersed it the daily operations of city hall.

Donchez's top candidates, all five successful men of business and government with whom he has long been familiar, agreed to volunteer their time to the city at no taxpayer expense.

The five members are: Ken Smith, former Bethlehem mayor; Thomas McGinley, trustee of St. Luke's University Health Network; Robert Oster, CPA; Ronald Izewski, CFO of Just Born, Inc.; and Christopher Lakatosh, Cornernstone Benefits, Inc. consulting.

The meeting schedule, responsibilities and format and weight of the task force's recommendations are yet to be decided.

Donchez said the formation of this committee is largely in response to the city's municipal obligations and health care - $11.1 million and $9.7 million respectively – which will only grow with an expected $550,000 increase to dept service next year.

Donchez said Bethlehem will not reap the true benefit of several large tax incentive zones for at least another five years, and so short-term efficiency while encouraging development is necessary to keep the city healthy.