EASTON, Pa. — Mayor Sal Panto Jr. formally kicked off his campaign for a record seventh term, laying out an aggressive agenda that included creating affordable housing and potentially lowering taxes.
Panto, 71, is already the longest-serving mayor in city history. Along with serving the past 16 years as the city’s chief executive, he previously served two terms between 1984 and 1992.
- Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. is seeking a seventh term
- During a campaign kickoff Thursday, he highlighted the city’s economic turnaround and improving safety record
- Panto is expected to face Councilman Peter Melan in the Democratic primary
About 80 people, including city council candidate Frank Pintabone, Northampton County judicial candidate Brian Panella and city Councilman Ken Brown joined Panto on Thursday night at the Parkview Event Center. While supporters schmoozed and snacked on cannolis, egg rolls and miniature pulled pork sandwiches, Panto, a Democrat, made clear he thought there was still more work to be done.
“Easton is positioned for unprecedented growth,” he told the crowd. “Our goal in the next four years is to manage this growth so we don’t lose the many assets of being a small city.”
Downtown Easton has undergone a renaissance during his most recent administration. When he took office in 2008, he said, prostitutes patrolled Centre Square, and gangs conducted open drug sales on city streets. But over the past 16 years, as he pointed out, serious crimes dropped from 1,374 cases in 2008 to 377 last year.
Panto said Easton has become an example for other communities on how to redevelop and reinvent themselves. Attractions such as the Easton Farmers Market and BaconFest bring thousands of people, bolstering Downtown restaurants and shops. The growing economy has allowed the city to avoid raising property taxes over the past 16 years, he said. If things hold up, it’s possible the city will be able to lower its 24.95 millage rate in the next four years, he said.
“People want to visit. If you want to come to an Easton restaurant on a Sunday night, you better have made a reservation a week in advance.”Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr.
“People want to visit. If you want to come to an Easton restaurant on a Sunday night, you better have made a reservation a week in advance,” he said.
High on his list is creating more affordable housing within the city. Throughout his speech, Panto repeatedly pointed to his success in lobbying for state and federal funding, including boosting aid during the pandemic from $2.6 million to $20.7 million. His administration is now pursuing up to $50 million in a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant that he hopes will create an affordable housing complex in the West Ward that will give working families a hand up.
Panto also hopes to build a new community center. Recreational resources shouldn’t be exclusive to wealthy suburbs, he said.
Also in the race
If Panto hopes to secure another term, he’ll need to defeat City Councilman Peter Melan, another Democrat who launched his own mayoral campaign in December. Melan has criticized how neighborhoods such as the West Ward have been left behind as Centre Square has undergone renewal.
Panto didn’t mention Melan by name but made occasional asides. At one point, he thanked state Rep. Bob Freeman, state Sen. Lisa Boscola and most of the city council for their collaboration.
“We’ve all come together, all my members of council - maybe all except one - we’ve all come together to make Easton have the positive changes that we’ve had,” he said.
The race for mayor will likely be determined in the May 16 primary election. No Republican candidate has announced a campaign yet, and the city’s voter registration figures heavily favor Democrats.
