Northampton County Council adopted a $503 million budget for next year by a 7-2 vote at its Dec. 4 meeting. Council also voted to keep the real estate tax rate at 10.8 mills, rejecting a proposed increase to 11.8.

During the public comment period of the meeting, Lehigh Valley IronPigs President and General Manager Kurt Landes asked council to reconsider slashing the baseball team’s hotel tax grant application from $25,000 to $2,500.

The funds support hosting the Savannah Bananas “Banana Ball” event at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, a fast-paced exhibition baseball event that sold out in 35 minutes last year, according to Landes.

He said that the IronPigs do not earn ticket revenue from Banana Ball, that the event generates significant tourism and economic impact across Northampton County, and that IronPigs Charities donates $1.5 million to Northampton County nonprofits.

“I’m concerned that this might weaken our application for future [Banana Ball] events,” Landes said.

The reallocated $22,500 is going to cultural groups like the Moravian Historical Society, Easton Book Festival, SouthSide Film Institute, Touchstone Theater and others.

Council member Jeff Warren said that although he had voted for that reallocation, the IronPigs deserve more consideration for 2027. “If organizations like Banana Ball want to come here in the future, they’re going to want to see some sort of regional and community-based investment,” he said.

A contentious budget amendment discussion arose regarding reallocating funds to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. Council member John Brown proposed shifting $461,375 from future Grow Norco grants to increase LVPC funding from $625,000 to $1,086,375, arguing that it met the needs presented by the commission and aligned with Lehigh County’s contribution.

Although council vice-president John Goffredo felt the bump-up was too much, he agreed that the LVPC deserves more than $625,000. “Development is on the rise in Northampton County and the Lehigh Valley. They’re doing more work,” he said.

Opposition arose over fiscal constraints. According to council member Ken Kraft, LVPC has a budget surplus. “I just can’t see giving them a half a million dollars when we’re in this situation we’re in right now with budgets,” he said.

Warren said he supported the LVPC but, “we’re at a point where we’re asking hundreds of thousands of dollars in future grants when we don’t necessarily know how things are going to be looking in the future.”

Council president Lori Vargo Heffner proposed reducing the amount to $365,000, and her proposal passed by a 6-3 vote.

At one point, outgoing council member Ron Heckman launched into an extended critique of the county’s finance strategy, using the employee pay scale issue as a springboard to broader concerns about spending and structural costs in areas like corrections and the Gracedale Nursing Home.