Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure has proposed an ambitious $455 million spending plan for next year that includes no tax hike. If approved, the tax rate will stay at 11.8 mills. This means homes assessed at $75,000 will have a tax bill of $880.

Interestingly, McClure revealed his proposed budget from the county’s Centralized Human Services Building. It is currently being leased at a cost of $1.05 million per year. It is also a “triple net” lease, meaning the county must pay taxes, maintenance costs and insurance. The real estate tax bill alone is $190,000 per year.

McClure has said he intends to buy the building for $14,468,731.

Though the county has sufficient funds on hand to complete the purchase, McClure intends to borrow the money. The reason for this is that the state currently reimburses the county for 80 percent of the cost of the lease, and will continue to do so if the county borrows money to complete the purchase. There will be no reimbursement if the county has no debt. “This essentially leverages the funding from the commonwealth,” McClure explained.

That would explain a $14.4 million bond. But McClure intends to borrow $26 million.

He also intends to build an $11 million forensic center. “Don’t think of this as a morgue,” he warned County Council in August. Instead, he wants a “true forensic center” where autopsies and toxicology tests are performed to help solve murders. He is hoping police will be able to use it to download cellphones and as a place where St.Luke’s and DeSales can train future physicians and physician assistants.

The remaining money from the bond issue will be slotted to pay for the controversial $38.5 million P3 project, under which 33 county bridges are being outright replaced or repaired. McClure is committed to seeing that project continue, despite reservations. According to the Executive, it was never assigned a “designated source of funds. The previous administration also failed to provide funding in 2018 for easements, utility relocations and the repayment of conservation funds to the commonwealth.” McClure was forced to use real estate taxes.

There will be no county contribution earmarked for Gracedale, the county’s nursing home. In fact, McClure intends to replace Premier, the County’s outside administrator with in-house staff who are certified. This will save the county $450,000 per year.

McClure has maintained his commitment to open space, stating he will devote $3 million to a program that was “systematically stripped away” in previous budgets.McClure said fully funding open space is the “one thing that Northampton County can do to prevent the expansion of truck traffic and warehouse proliferation throughout Northampton County.”

For nonunion workers, the budget includes a 2 percent COLA and step increases for employees between one and four years of seniority. He will also eliminate gap insurance and co-pay for employees. He expects this to increase the bottom line of every worker.

Union workers, who make up 75 percent of the workforce, are governed by separately negotiated contracts.

Northampton County and Bethlehem are in the process of consolidating 911 service. McClure budgeted for a “worst case scenario,” but believes the actual numbers will be lower.

It is a true balanced budget. He has no intention of dipping into cash reserves.

The lion’s share of McClure’s budget (51.2 percent) will fund Human Services, which serves 80,000 people.

In addition to releasing the budget book online, McClure has also put the “blue book” online on the county webpage. Traditionally, the blue book has only been available to council. You can also see his budget presentation on Facebook.