EASTON, Pa. — Northampton County Councilman John Cusick announced Wednesday he's running for county controller.
- Northampton County Councilman John Cusick on Wednesday announced he's a candidate for county controller.
- He's seeking to replace Controller Richard "Bucky" Szulborski, who previously said he would not seek re-election
- The controller is the county's fiscal watchdog
“The inability to produce quarterly financial reports in a timely fashion, issues with and avoidance of competitive bidding and millions in COVID relief spending are just some of the fiscal challenges facing Northampton County,” Cusick said in a statement.
“We need to continue the oversight of how each office and agency in Northampton County handles cash, checks and tax revenues to ensure every dollar is properly allocated where it legally belongs."
Cusick, 56, a Republican, was elected to county council's at-large seat in 2006, and has represented District 3 on the body since 2016.
His tenure includes five years as the body's president.
“We need to continue the oversight of how each office and agency in Northampton County handles cash, checks and tax revenues to ensure every dollar is properly allocated where it legally belongs."John Cusick, candidate for Northampton County Controller
Cusick first entered local government in 2002, when he was elected to the Williams Township Board of Supervisors.
During a break between county council terms from 2014-16, he served on the township's board of auditors.
Outside government, Cusick is a math teacher at Hunderdon Central High School in Flemington, New Jersey. He has been a teacher for 27 years.
A graduate of Lehigh University, he received a master's degree in mathematics and history at East Stroudsburg University.
Controller Richard "Bucky" Szulborski was appointed to the post in 2018 to replace Steve Barron, who resigned to become the county finance director.
Cusick, then a Northampton County councilman, voted against Szulborksi's appointment.
Szulborski held the post until Antoine "Tony" Bassil was elected in 2019, then again was appointed to the post when Bassil died in 2021. Szulborski said then he would not seek re-election.
