EASTON, Pa. - Northampton County Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve Lamont McClure’s proposed 2023 budget.
- Council voted 9-0 to adopt the budget
- The passed budget will keep 2023 property taxes the same as 2022 at 10.8 mills
- Amendments that would have stripped $175,000 budgeted for IronPigs Charities did not pass
- $100,000 will still go to the IronPigs Charities; $75,000 will fund other initiatives instead
The approved budget did not include the largest proposed amendments to strip funding from IronPigs Charities.
Of the $175,000 originally allocated to the charity, $50,000 was removed for future grants.
Additionally, $20,000 will go to Bath Borough for a long term parks and recreation study, and another $5,000 was reallocated to two Bethlehem performing arts venues.
The remaining $100,000 will still go to IronPigs Charities for improvements to Coca Cola Park in Allentown.
With the approved budget, the county’s property tax millage rate will stay the same at 10.8 mills – that is, $10.80 per thousand dollars of a property’s value.
County Executive Lamont McClure touted his record on taxes Thursday.
“When we cut taxes last year, some people said, ‘Oh, well they'll cut taxes. It's a gimmick. It's an election year gimmick, and they'll just have to turn around and raise them next year,'" McClure said.
“Well guess what? We have another no-tax-increase budget," he said, "The fourth of my administration.”
