Allentown to enter 2026 without a budget as council fails with veto override

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — City officials are following in their state and federal counterparts’ footsteps by failing to pass a budget on time.

City Council fell short Tuesday night with an attempt to override Mayor Matt Tuerk's Dec. 22 veto of the budget it passed five days prior.

That plan would have kept the property-tax rate flat but raised the annual trash fee $135, as the mayor initially requested.

Tuerk shot down council's budget and called on members to compromise before the Dec. 31 deadline.

But there was no budging on budget stances Tuesday.

Council voted 4-3 to override the mayor's veto, but the measure needed five of seven members’ support to pass.

Members Cynthia Mota, Ce-Ce Gerlach, Ed Zucal and Natalie Santos voted to override Tuerk’s veto; Santo Napoli, Daryl Hendricks and Candida Affa voted against it.

That was the same vote by which council approved its budget this month.

Hendricks tried to introduce another compromise proposal “if only to go through the motions,” but he was blocked by council's bylaws.

That leaves the city without a 2026 budget.

Budget vote first priority in new year

Tuerk told LehighValleyNews.com he expected his initial budget proposal — which called for a 3.96% property-tax increase and a $135 raise in trash-related fees — would take effect if his veto withstood council's scrutiny.

But city voters in 2019 removed what's known as a “default budget" from Allentown's home-rule charter months after then-Mayor Ray O'Connell used a last-minute budget veto to implement a 27% tax raise.

The 2026 budget likely will be the first order of business for council — and its two new members — in early January.

Cristian Pungo and Jeremy Binder will replace Hendricks and Zucal after besting the incumbents in this spring's Democratic primary.

The newcomers will have to quickly get up to speed on city finances as they hold the key votes on future proposals, with current members’ stances well-established.