EASTON, Pa — Northampton County Council on Wednesday amended the proposed 2026 county budget to redistribute $25,000 earmarked for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
The original budget proposal, which County Executive Lamona McClure introduced last month, granted $25,000 of hotel room taxes to help the IronPigs.
Wednesday’s action moves the amendment forward to a Dec. 4 council meeting, where the body will take a final vote.Northampton County budget calendar
The money would be used to bring the Savannah Bananas, an exhibition baseball team, with their unique take on the sport, to Coca-Cola Park in Allentown next year.
Council members voted 7-0 to cut the IronPigs’ grant to $2,500.
The remaining funds will be split between the Moravian Historical Society, the Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley, the Easton Book Festival, the Southside Film Festival, Touchstone Theatre and Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society.
Wednesday’s action moves the amendment forward to a Dec. 4 council meeting, where the body will take a final vote.
McClure has the opportunity to veto any budget amendment; a six-member majority of council can override the executive’s veto.
The council also will vote Dec. 4 on an amendment granting $10,000 from hotel tax revenue to Wilson Area LINCS Coalition for Families and Youth, a nonprofit providing social services for children and families in the Wilson Area School District.
Other proposals fail
Several other proposals did not get enough support to make it to the December meeting.
Council voted down a pair of amendments that would have boosted funding for the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
Where the commission asked for nearly $1.1 million next year, Northampton County’s budget proposal allocates $625,000.
The first, introduced by Commissioner John Brown, would have moved about $461,000 from Northampton County’s GrowNorCo grant program to the LVPC.
A second, from Council President Lori Vargo Heffner, would have moved $350,000 from the same grant program to the LVPC.
Additional proposals granting $10,000 and $15,000 from hotel tax revenue to Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites also failed.
During earlier budget hearings, Hotel Bethlehem Managing Partner Bruce Haines asked the council to set aside additional funding for the organization to hire more tour guides.
