Bethlehem Councilwoman Crampsie Smith 1st to declare in 4-seat council race
Updated Jan 23, 2021;
Bethlehem City Councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith is seeking her first four-year term on the governing body.
The Easton Area High School counselor was already running unopposed to fill a two-year council term when Councilman Shawn Martell resigned in September 2019. Council appointed her to fill the short-term vacancy until the November election.
Crampsie Smith then won the two-year term created when Eric Evans resigned to become city business manager and was sworn in January 2020.
With that term expiring next year, Crampsie Smith is running in 2021 for a chance to continue her agenda of “assuring public health and safety, balancing economic development with housing that is inclusive and affordable, and encouraging sound fiscal management.”
Bethlehem councilman wants to suspend open container laws during restaurant ban, but a quick fix isn t likely mcall.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mcall.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Bethlehem passes budget with 5% tax hike and new stormwater fee
Updated Dec 16, 2020;
Bethlehem City Council Tuesday night backed a 5% tax increase to help the city weather the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and created a new stormwater fee.
The $87.4 million spending plan cuts six jobs through attrition and means the average homeowner of a home with an assessed value of $50,000 would pay $46 more a year in city taxes.
It passed in a 6-1 vote with Councilman Bryan Callahan dissenting due to the tax hike and cuts to the city fire department through attrition.
The budget includes no new jobs or programs. It cuts four firefighters from each city platoon as well as two Bethlehem Service Center employees, estimated to save $500,000 annually in salary and benefits. Bethlehem’s workforce will drop to a low of 588 people, from a high of 670 back in 2010.