Northampton County property owners will see no county tax hike this year. By an 8-1 vote, county council voted Dec. 5, 2019, to adopt county Executive Lamont McClure’s $445 million spending plan for 2020. The tax rate will remain at 11.8 mills, where it has been for the past five years. A home assessed at $75,000 will receive a tax bill this year for $885.

This is McClure’s second budget as county executive - and the second time he has held the line on taxes.

“A no-tax-increase budget for a second year in a row is an accomplishment council can be proud of,” McClure said in a news release issued immediately after the budget was adopted. “We’ve cut the budget nearly 6 percent without reducing vital services. We are investing $3 million to preserve farmland, environmentally sensitive land and investing in parks. In our fight against warehouse proliferation, our administration has already invested $6 million. Finally, we are keeping our commitment to maintain Gracedale as a county-owned and -operated facility, and once again, Gracedale will not require any money from the county’s general fund to operate.”

Gracedale may require no county contribution this year, but council member John Cusick believes it is operating with a structural deficit. He was the lone budget dissenter. He also objected to the inconsistent way the county manages hotel tax grants. His biggest complaint was a 9.2-percent pay hike for Jennifer Stewart-King, Gracedale administrator.

Under the adopted budget, her wages will jump from $102,291 to $111,704. Cusick said this is “insulting” to other Gracedale workers, who will see 3-percent raises or less. He added Gracedale’s rating remains unchanged, and its census may be dropping.

McClure countered that Stewart-King is actually underpaid compared to administrators at nearby nursing homes. He cited salaries range from $132,000 to $175,000 at nearby homes.

“We don’t want to lose her,” argued council member Bill McGee.

Council member Kevin Lott added that Stewart-King “came up through the ranks.”

Finally, council member Lori Vargo-Heffner noted Stewart-King has brought about positive changes at Gracedale, including electronic health records, and is turning morale around. She agreed Gracedale’s rating remains unchanged but said that is because the county nursing home will accept anyone.

“We will not turn people away,” she said.

Joining Cusick in opposing this pay raise were council members Matt Dietz and Bob Werner. They opposed the salary increase but later voted for the budget.

McClure’s budget spends 5.6 percent less than it did last year. Part of the reason for that is because the county is no longer paying a triple net lease for its human services building, located in Bethlehem Township. It now owns it. In addition, thanks to a refunding of county bonds, the annual debt service has dropped.

Though spending has been reduced, McClure said he wants to spend $2.6 million of the county’s reserve - or rainy day fund. This is to help pay for new voting machines mandated by Gov. Tom Wolf’s Department of State. The state is expected to reimburse the county around 60 percent of the cost.

McClure added the budget fully funds a “disastrous public private partnership” for the repair or replacement of 27 bridges. The private contractor has missed several milestone markers, and the executive anticipates “much debate and discussion” this year over what appears to be a stalled project.

The budget also includes a 2.5-percent raise for its career service - or nonunion - workers. Union workers are paid in accordance with separate contracts, and most bargaining units will see a 2-percent raise this year.

This is the last budget prepared by Doran J. Hamann, budget administrator, who retired in November 2019 after 40 years of service to Northampton County. He was nevertheless at the meeting, as well as the budget hearings preceding the final vote.