Last evening the City Finance Committee approved by a 2-1, to send Council President Michael Schweder's plan how to spend the casino host fee to full Council at their December 4th meeting. The finance committee consists of Joseph F. Leeson, Jr., Chairman, Jean Belinksi and Robert J. Donchez.
The Morning Call has an account here, and Express Times here.
Schweder's plan includes using 0ne-half the host fee of 8.7 million to cut property taxes, the other half would be used to hire 20 police officers, 10 firemen, 6 paramedics and 2 inspectors. The remaining money, estimated by Schweder at around 2 million, would be placed in a restricted fund only to be spent as authorized by Council.
The problems with Schweder's plan:
1. The City will not get the money until after the casino opens, estimated to be July, 2009, so how can he decide how to spend it now.
2. Schweder's numbers were not based on anything but his own imagination. He never spoke with the Department heads and never conducted a study. He arbitrarily chose the number of police, fire, paramedics and inspectors.
3. It is foolish for a City that is admittedly in debt and has to borrow from itself to pay bills, to cut property taxes. That is just asking for trouble down the road.
The real story:
Schweder is trying get his plan through council while he still has the votes to get it passed. Currently, Schweder has the four votes needed to pass the bill with Szabo, Leeson and Belinski. In January, William Reynolds joins council and voiced concerns over spending the money prematurely and using to cut taxes. He urged a wait and see approach that was similar to what Mowrer and Donchez said. They are not against cutting taxes but those decisions can not be made now.
As someone posted on the mcall.com forums, if Schweder is successful in getting his legislation passed, which he probably will be, he will force Callahan to veto it. Schweder does not have enough votes to override the veto, and by that time Reynolds will be on Council, so Schweder will not even have the votes to get the legislation passed again.
Then if Schweder decides to run for Mayor, he can attack Callahan for vetoing a tax cut resolution.
This whole mess is just some Dem on Dem Politics, and gets J. Michael Schweder into the DINO Club!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Post-Election Thoughts
Some Post-Election Thoughts:
The Bethlehem City Controller Race: Republican Meg Holland defeating Democrat Dave DiGiacinto may be the most shocking result. I thought Meg would lose. I am glad the voters looked at more than R and D behind their names and looked at the substance of the candidate. Once they did that, it was a clear choice. Some may try to spin this race as a referendum on the Old Guard losing their grip in Bethlehem. It may be, but I would not go that far yet. I think Schweder just picked the wrong guy to run for Controller.
The Bethlehem City Council Race: The voters gave Bob Donchez and Gordon Mowrer another term, which was a good thing. They are the most rational and steady individuals on council. J. William Reynolds joins them as the voters elected him to be the youngest councilman in the history of Bethlehem. Reynolds worked hard in the primary to unseat incumbent Maggie Szabo, which was another blow to the Old Guard in the City. Reynolds is the aide to popular State Rep. Steve Samuelson and we the voters can only hope that Reynolds will follow the example his boss has set. Note to Reynolds: We are watching young man, do not screw up!
Lehigh County Commissioners: The voters elected 2 Republicans and 2 Democrats. The Republicans will still hold control of the board. Andy Roman was the lone incumbent seeking to keep his seat and was re-elected. Fellow GOPer Dean Browning joins him. Gloria Hamm and Bill Leiner are the two Democrats who will join the board. While the Republicans maintain control, it is not as bad as it appears. Cunningham has been able to work with the Republicans in the past and I am sure that he will in the future.
Northampton County Council: Unfortunately for Joe Long, the Republicans gained a seat, which may be fortunate for the taxpayers. Voters rejected more of Tony Branco in the changed Council at large seat.
Northampton County Controller: Voter’s showed their desire of having a full-time Controller by narrowly electing Stephen Barron. Hopefully, Stephen lives up to the expectations. Time will tell if the County needs a full-time Controller, if it does hopefully the Charter can be changed to pay him like a full-timer.
Lehigh County Row Offices: Democrats sweep. No real surprises except in the Controller race where the incumbent Peter Shaffer lost to Tom Slonaker in a close one.
Local Judges: Barrata and Steinberg were retained in landslide votes. Republican Jim Anthony took third in the Lehigh County Judicial Race over Dan McCarthy. Personally, I thought McCarthy would win, since Anthony had previously lost when he ran a few years ago. Anthony joins fellow winners District Judge Michelle Varrichio, who gets a seat on the big bench, and Maria Dantos, who is already sitting on the big bench.
UPDATE: Slonaker has apparently lost his bid to unseat Shaffer as Lehigh County Controller. I relied on http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b1-5clerk.6127061nov07,0,3412390.story for my information...but it is now wrong. The mcall.com has Shaffer with a 99 vote lead and wfmz.com has a 78 vote lead for Shaffer. I thought both men were well-qualified for the post and thought both would do a good job.
The Bethlehem City Controller Race: Republican Meg Holland defeating Democrat Dave DiGiacinto may be the most shocking result. I thought Meg would lose. I am glad the voters looked at more than R and D behind their names and looked at the substance of the candidate. Once they did that, it was a clear choice. Some may try to spin this race as a referendum on the Old Guard losing their grip in Bethlehem. It may be, but I would not go that far yet. I think Schweder just picked the wrong guy to run for Controller.
The Bethlehem City Council Race: The voters gave Bob Donchez and Gordon Mowrer another term, which was a good thing. They are the most rational and steady individuals on council. J. William Reynolds joins them as the voters elected him to be the youngest councilman in the history of Bethlehem. Reynolds worked hard in the primary to unseat incumbent Maggie Szabo, which was another blow to the Old Guard in the City. Reynolds is the aide to popular State Rep. Steve Samuelson and we the voters can only hope that Reynolds will follow the example his boss has set. Note to Reynolds: We are watching young man, do not screw up!
Lehigh County Commissioners: The voters elected 2 Republicans and 2 Democrats. The Republicans will still hold control of the board. Andy Roman was the lone incumbent seeking to keep his seat and was re-elected. Fellow GOPer Dean Browning joins him. Gloria Hamm and Bill Leiner are the two Democrats who will join the board. While the Republicans maintain control, it is not as bad as it appears. Cunningham has been able to work with the Republicans in the past and I am sure that he will in the future.
Northampton County Council: Unfortunately for Joe Long, the Republicans gained a seat, which may be fortunate for the taxpayers. Voters rejected more of Tony Branco in the changed Council at large seat.
Northampton County Controller: Voter’s showed their desire of having a full-time Controller by narrowly electing Stephen Barron. Hopefully, Stephen lives up to the expectations. Time will tell if the County needs a full-time Controller, if it does hopefully the Charter can be changed to pay him like a full-timer.
Lehigh County Row Offices: Democrats sweep. No real surprises except in the Controller race where the incumbent Peter Shaffer lost to Tom Slonaker in a close one.
Local Judges: Barrata and Steinberg were retained in landslide votes. Republican Jim Anthony took third in the Lehigh County Judicial Race over Dan McCarthy. Personally, I thought McCarthy would win, since Anthony had previously lost when he ran a few years ago. Anthony joins fellow winners District Judge Michelle Varrichio, who gets a seat on the big bench, and Maria Dantos, who is already sitting on the big bench.
UPDATE: Slonaker has apparently lost his bid to unseat Shaffer as Lehigh County Controller. I relied on http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b1-5clerk.6127061nov07,0,3412390.story for my information...but it is now wrong. The mcall.com has Shaffer with a 99 vote lead and wfmz.com has a 78 vote lead for Shaffer. I thought both men were well-qualified for the post and thought both would do a good job.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Controller Race Update
The Bethlehem Controller race is winding down.
Here is the latest:
1. Maureen Holland-Schaeffer, Meg Holland's daughter, has posted a comment on a previous post, which I feel deserves some attention. Her comment is her mother's response to a letter to the editor which was published in the Express-Times on November 3, 2007. The letter questions Holland's mailer which states the budget in the City is $121 million. The writer states the correct amount is $58 million. Holland's explanation is as follows:
"In Mr. Horwath’s letter to the editor on November 3, 2007 he stated that the city budget of $121 million as reported in my campaign mailers was off by $63 million. The City of Bethlehem budget is $121 million, which I detail below.
Operating Budget (in millions)
General Fund 58.523
Water 18.000
Sewer 11.931
Golf 1.400
911 1.898
Total Operating Budget 91.752
Capital Budget (in millions)
Non-utility 13.650
Water 4.392
Sewer 3.211
Community 6.930
Liquid Fuels 1.417
Total Capital Budget 29.600
Total City Budget = $121.352
Unfortunately Mr. Horwath was only informed of the General Fund budget. The Controller’s job is the “watchdog” of all city accounts, therefore, only considering the General Fund budget would be incorrect.
Meg Holland CPA/ABV, CIA, CVA, CFE"
Fortunately, for the people of the City of Bethlehem someone with an expertise in accounting and the knowledge of the City's budget is running for Controller. The choice is clear, Meg Holland is the best candidate for City controller.
2. I saw this article on the Bethlehem Daily Start blog on The Morning Call website. Instead of raising taxes, Mayor Callahan tapped into the Sewer Hook Up fee payment that Bethworks/Sands paid early. It is $1.7 million. He moved the money to the General Fund to cover payroll, medical expenses and worker's compensation. The fee, which was instituted by Callahan 2 years, is paid by developers. So the City is using money that was paid early and is not needed now, and will be repaid before it is needed.
Dave DiGiacinto's, the Democratic candidate for controller, endorser Republican Alan Blair, the interim Controller, does not think it is legal and says it is a bad idea.
Apparently Blair would rather layoff workers and raise taxes, than have the City borrow from itself and pay itself back with interest after the beginning of the year.
I think there may be a better way to take care of the City's year end cash flow problem but do not think layoffs and raising taxes is the answer and until a better solution comes around borrowing from itself is the best solution.
An interesting discussion on the Controller race follows the Daily Star article in the reader comments.
I hope the City residents do the right thing tomorrow and elect Meg Holland to be City Controller. She is the only candidate who is ethically bound to be impartial because she is the only candidate who is a CPA.
Here is the latest:
1. Maureen Holland-Schaeffer, Meg Holland's daughter, has posted a comment on a previous post, which I feel deserves some attention. Her comment is her mother's response to a letter to the editor which was published in the Express-Times on November 3, 2007. The letter questions Holland's mailer which states the budget in the City is $121 million. The writer states the correct amount is $58 million. Holland's explanation is as follows:
"In Mr. Horwath’s letter to the editor on November 3, 2007 he stated that the city budget of $121 million as reported in my campaign mailers was off by $63 million. The City of Bethlehem budget is $121 million, which I detail below.
Operating Budget (in millions)
General Fund 58.523
Water 18.000
Sewer 11.931
Golf 1.400
911 1.898
Total Operating Budget 91.752
Capital Budget (in millions)
Non-utility 13.650
Water 4.392
Sewer 3.211
Community 6.930
Liquid Fuels 1.417
Total Capital Budget 29.600
Total City Budget = $121.352
Unfortunately Mr. Horwath was only informed of the General Fund budget. The Controller’s job is the “watchdog” of all city accounts, therefore, only considering the General Fund budget would be incorrect.
Meg Holland CPA/ABV, CIA, CVA, CFE"
Fortunately, for the people of the City of Bethlehem someone with an expertise in accounting and the knowledge of the City's budget is running for Controller. The choice is clear, Meg Holland is the best candidate for City controller.
2. I saw this article on the Bethlehem Daily Start blog on The Morning Call website. Instead of raising taxes, Mayor Callahan tapped into the Sewer Hook Up fee payment that Bethworks/Sands paid early. It is $1.7 million. He moved the money to the General Fund to cover payroll, medical expenses and worker's compensation. The fee, which was instituted by Callahan 2 years, is paid by developers. So the City is using money that was paid early and is not needed now, and will be repaid before it is needed.
Dave DiGiacinto's, the Democratic candidate for controller, endorser Republican Alan Blair, the interim Controller, does not think it is legal and says it is a bad idea.
Apparently Blair would rather layoff workers and raise taxes, than have the City borrow from itself and pay itself back with interest after the beginning of the year.
I think there may be a better way to take care of the City's year end cash flow problem but do not think layoffs and raising taxes is the answer and until a better solution comes around borrowing from itself is the best solution.
An interesting discussion on the Controller race follows the Daily Star article in the reader comments.
I hope the City residents do the right thing tomorrow and elect Meg Holland to be City Controller. She is the only candidate who is ethically bound to be impartial because she is the only candidate who is a CPA.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Bethlehem City Republican Committee Gets Active; City Council Candidate fails to disclose contribution
This evening I received an email from a person who wishes to remain anonymous. I will respect this person's wishes. I am allowed to tell you that this person is a Democratic Committeeperson from Bethlehem.
This person passed along two tidbits of information to me.
1. Meg Holland, the Republican candidate for City Controller, was asked by the Bethlehem City Republican Committee to remove signs from her yard showing her support for Democratic candidates. I was informed that one of the signs was a J. William Reynolds for City Council sign. Bernie O'hare acknowledged in a post earlier this week that Meg was also supporting Democratic NorCo Controller Candidate Stephen Barron with a sign in her front yard.
Meg Holland complied with the request. The signs were removed as of this evening.
2. Earlier this week, the Morning Call reported that little money is being spent in the City Council race. Republican Candidate Esther Lee reported on her expense report that she had a campaign budget on zero dollars. If you drive around the city, you will notice that Esther Lee has campaign signs scattered throughout the city. My anonymous emailer tells me that "if you look closely, her signs are paid for by the Bethlehem City Republican Committee."
My anonymous emailer states "this is an in-kind contribution that must be reported by the candidate or the candidate's authorized committee."
I verified that the signs are paid for by the City Republican Committee tonight when I took my dog for a walk, and I believe the Morning Call's reporting is accurate. I would think that Esther Lee would know about campaign finance reports requirements after all the attempts at office she made in the past.
It is nice to see the Republican Committee active in the City. I would hope that they would have their candidates worry about the accuracy of their finance reports, rather than concern themselves with which signs are in one of their candidates yards.
This person passed along two tidbits of information to me.
1. Meg Holland, the Republican candidate for City Controller, was asked by the Bethlehem City Republican Committee to remove signs from her yard showing her support for Democratic candidates. I was informed that one of the signs was a J. William Reynolds for City Council sign. Bernie O'hare acknowledged in a post earlier this week that Meg was also supporting Democratic NorCo Controller Candidate Stephen Barron with a sign in her front yard.
Meg Holland complied with the request. The signs were removed as of this evening.
2. Earlier this week, the Morning Call reported that little money is being spent in the City Council race. Republican Candidate Esther Lee reported on her expense report that she had a campaign budget on zero dollars. If you drive around the city, you will notice that Esther Lee has campaign signs scattered throughout the city. My anonymous emailer tells me that "if you look closely, her signs are paid for by the Bethlehem City Republican Committee."
My anonymous emailer states "this is an in-kind contribution that must be reported by the candidate or the candidate's authorized committee."
I verified that the signs are paid for by the City Republican Committee tonight when I took my dog for a walk, and I believe the Morning Call's reporting is accurate. I would think that Esther Lee would know about campaign finance reports requirements after all the attempts at office she made in the past.
It is nice to see the Republican Committee active in the City. I would hope that they would have their candidates worry about the accuracy of their finance reports, rather than concern themselves with which signs are in one of their candidates yards.
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