It’s true! Northampton County Council President Ken Kraft resigned at council’s Oct. 4 meeting, and he’s going to jail. But not as an inmate.

County Executive Lamont McClure has named him Public Safety Deputy Director of Corrections. McClure said he needed someone to deal with vendors and review contracts, line-by-line, and that person is Kraft.

McClure told council, “Corrections is not a softball industry, and we need someone in that position . . . who has negotiation experience, who has experience reviewing contracts, line by line, who has experience with obstreperous opponents on the other side . . . an irascible person, a person who may not always have the requisite patience they might necessarily need . . . you might want somebody like that, somebody a little mean . . .”

Naturally, he thought of Kraft.

Kraft accepted the position and offered his resignation from County Council. It was accepted with regret.

He will be paid $74,076 a year, a significant increase from his $9,500 salary as council president.

Kraft, 57, was first elected to Northampton County Council in 2011. He was re-elected in 2015. He recently retired as president of District Council 21 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. On council, he was the driving force behind he purchase of an archives building in Forks Township and a Centralized Human Services Building in Bethlehem Township. He was a strong advocate of Gracedale and was the sole member of county council to vote against a controversial P3 project to replace or repair 33 county-owned bridges. On council, he developed a reputation for being able to read proposed county contracts, spot problems and ask tough questions.

He was a vocal critic of the DaVinci aquarium in downtown Easton.

Kraft is a veteran, having served in the Marines. He is also a master diver.

He will be serving in an exempt position, which means he serves at the pleasure of the executive.

This presents two questions. First, who is going to succeed Kraft as president of county council? Council will reorganize at its next meeting

Second, who’s going to succeed Kraft on council? Kraft represents the Bethlehem district on council, which consists of Bethlehem, Hanover Township, Freemansburg and Hellertown. Any registered voter, Democrat or Republican, who lives in the district, is qualified.

Council has 30 days to make an appointment. The position will be advertised and a successor appointed Oct 18.