ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Longtime Controller Jeff Glazier, who stepped into the role a decade ago amid a federal investigation into city corruption, died Tuesday.
Allentown officials were quick to mourn Glazier’s death, praising him for helping to re-establish trust in local government during an era when it was in short supply. In a joint statement released Wednesday, city council members thanked him for decades of service that helped shape the city he loved.
"To so many people, he was more than a public official. He was a steady presence in civic life, a neighbor, and someone who showed up for this city again and again because he believed in it deeply,” the statement read.
City officials were aware that Glazier was ill, but he continued to work until the end. He was scheduled to make a presentation to City Council Wednesday night after council members requested information about Mayor Matt Tuerk's recent travel abroad.
"Jeff did it all as a public servant. He stepped up when he was needed. But he was more than that. He did all this stuff quietly that no one else knew about. He just had it in his soul, and I am going to miss that a lot," Tuerk said in an interview Wednesday.
'More than a public official'
Glazier, an Allen High grad, served a dozen years on the Allentown School District’s board before he was appointed to fill a vacancy on council following Mike Schlossberg’s election to the state House of Representatives. He quickly gained a reputation as an independent voice in city politics.
“Allentown is better because Jeff Glazier chose to serve.”Allentown City Council statement
His presence made him a natural choice to become controller, the city's financial watchdog, following the resignation of Mary Ellen Koval, who stepped down amid an investigation into pay-to-play contracting within Allentown City Hall.
Tuerk recalled meeting Glazier during his run for mayor in 2021 when he offered presentations on the city's finances to anyone running for office. The three-hour course helped the him get a better grasp on the budget process, and Glazier did it so that future leaders, whoever they were, would be in a better position to lead the city, Tuerk said.
That was one example of Glazier's commitment to integrity, he said. Glazier didn't play favorites and made sure city officials followed best standards.
"Jeff dinged me once for tipping 25% on a sandwich. That was the rule. He had an incredibly high standard and wanted to make sure you were following the rules. And when you did the right thing, he had your back," Tuerk said.
Koval was later sentenced to serve two years of probation, while former Mayor Ed Pawlowski is about halfway through his 15-year federal prison sentence for dozens of convictions, including bribery and corruption.
Glazier was re-elected as controller three times since his appointment a decade ago; his current term was due to end in 2028.
He treated his role “with care and discipline, earning respect across city government for the seriousness with which he treated the public trust,” council members said in their statement.
“His fingerprints are on decades of public service, but his true legacy is something deeper: trust earned, lives touched and a community strengthened by his goodness,” Councilwoman Candida Affa said.
City Council President Santo Napoli credited Glazier for serving Allentown “with a level of integrity and humility that set a standard for us all."
Four-term City Council Vice President Cynthia Mota said Glazier “became a trusted colleague and a friend."
“He carried himself with kindness and thoughtfulness in every setting, and he never lost sight of the people he was serving,” Mota said. “His passing is deeply personal to me and to many of us who knew him well. May his memory be a blessing.”
'A kid ought to have his own bed'
Glazier was well-known to many as companion to his dog, Artemis, and owner of the family business, Glazier Furniture, which operated for more than a century in Allentown.
Glazier and his father, Leonard, were honored by City Council about four years ago for their work to support the Fund to Benefit Children and Youth, a local nonprofit that serves abused, neglected, and at-risk children in Lehigh and Northampton counties.
The organization in 2022 estimated Glazier had delivered more than 8,000 beds and other pieces of furniture to children in need over the previous 22 years. And the city controller maintained relationships with suppliers to ensure the pipeline didn’t stop when he closed his business in 2017.
“Seeing how other people who don’t have (much) live, it keeps you a little honest. It keeps you a little humble,” Glazier told LehighValleyNews.com in November 2022 as he prepared his last deliveries to the nonprofit and his full retirement from the furniture industry.
“I’ll do anything I can to get those beds out of the door by Christmas Eve — because I figure a kid ought to have his own bed on Christmas Eve,” he said.
Allentown City Council canceled two meetings scheduled for Wednesday night “in honor of Jeff’s memory” and to allow members and staff to grieve, according to its statement.
“The members of Allentown City Council extend their deepest condolences to Jeff’s family, his friends, and all who are mourning him across the city,” members said. “Allentown is better because Jeff Glazier chose to serve.”
