Josh Siegel has been in office for 25 days as Lehigh County Executive. He has already made national waves and excited liberal activists by announcing that he was evicting ICE from county office space. Now look, anti-ICE sentiment is strong, but abolishing ICE is still not a majority position in America, despite ICE shooting citizens in the street. For that reason, I’d probably not advise a candidate to go full hard line on the issue in normal circumstances. However, in this case, Siegel has the upper hand.
Our Congressional turnip, Ryan Mackenzie, came out and attacked Siegel for his decision. It was incredibly weak. He tried to make the distinction that these are Homeland Security Investigators and don’t actually arrest people for ICE. That’s all well and good, if we want to be super cute on the language, but Mackenzie has a problem here- they haven’t paid their rent to the county for three years. Is Mackenzie okay with the federal government stiffing the people of his district? ICE/Homeland Security/Trump need to stop being deadbeats and pay their bills. Maybe Mackenzie should stop paying his mortgage for three years and see if he still owns a home. This guy is shilling for absolute deadbeat behavior. I guess he’s trying to find common ground with Crooksy?
This isn’t an ideological position, this is just common sense. Josh Siegel’s oath was to the people of Lehigh County, not some deadbeat running DHS or in the White House. Ryan Mackenzie swore an oath to the constitution himself, but he’s added an amendment to kiss “Dear Leaders” ass, even when he screws his community. Good for Josh for reminding Mackenzie that his home community has a voice too, and they’d like it if their government at least had the decency to make them whole.
Yesterday I attended the swearing in of Northampton County Executive Tara Zrinski. It was a really nice ceremony, as it always is, and it was packed as it ever is. I’m quite proud of Tara, the county’s first woman to serve as County Executive, as I must admit that eight years ago I would have told you there was no way she’d be Executive, let alone in eight years. She worked really hard, she got pretty good at the politics, and she did it. Perseverance can pay off in this business. I look forward to giving my two cents to her transition team on disability issues in the county, as I hope to help someone else’s life be a little easier.
In Lehigh County, the story was similar. Josh Siegel became the youngest County Executive in PA history. Up until a few years ago, I don’t think I would have predicted this either. Josh had some tough runs for office in Allentown, and he had plenty of critics on the Allentown City Council, but he eventually got himself to the State House in Harrisburg, and he grew with the office. He’s one of the most visionary elected officials in the Lehigh Valley, and I am really looking forward to his tenure.
I should take a moment to congratulate my two friends who finished their terms as the Executives this week, Lamont McClure (Northampton) and Phil Armstrong (Lehigh). I was Executive Director of McClure’s Transition team eight years ago, and I advised him and his wife’s campaigns over the years. Whatever your misgivings are with Lamont’s style, the truth is that he is a remarkably consistent politician who focused on the three issues that the public actually cares about most, in an almost obsessive way- he did not raise taxes once in his eight years, he preserved a record amount of open farmland space, and he kept the county’s nursing home county owned. Yes, there were other political issues, such as supporting passenger rail to New York and Philadelphia, opposing continuing warehouse proliferation, and addressing federal overreach where he was right, but he stuck like glue to his bread and butter issues, and it was good for the public. As for Phil Armstrong, or as anyone who knows him says, “Uncle Phil”- what a fantastic guy. I managed his first run for Executive eight years ago, and I’ll be honest, I didn’t necessarily know we were going to win, but here he is. I think the best compliment anyone can give to him is that he taught and lived in the Whitehall community for decades, and voters of all political stripes came out to support him in big numbers there. Phil preserved and expanded the county nursing home, Cedarbrook, preserved open space, and managed a large, diverse, and sometimes unruly county politically through some major transitional years, particularly some politically tumultuous years in the county’s biggest city (Allentown) during his first term. I haven’t formally worked as an advisor to either in a few years now, but I think we need to all congratulate them on a job well done.
I always enjoy the ceremonies, mostly for the sidebars. The choral group was really good at Northampton. I also got a kick out of seeing who sat by who. I had to ask one aide to a statewide elected official if he was there as a family member (his uncle was being re-sworn in as a magistrate) or in his official capacity, since he was seated with his parents. There were Congressional candidates in the room, some seated with their campaign staff (hey, we all need friends), or whatever randoms sat with them in the back row (why not make friends?), or bothering me along the wall (No one offered my crippled ass a seat, this wearing long pants stuff sucks). There were cabinet officials all over the room, and their seating selections were interesting. There were state and municipal electeds all over the room, and you can tell who they like based on who they sat with (none of them sat with me). My best friend since childhood (who works at the county) was smart enough to not be seen sitting (or I guess standing) next to me, but my poor sister did get stuck with me. As I said, this is the weird stuff that interests me. I keep mental notes.
Come January there will be two new County Executives in the Lehigh Valley. Eight years ago now, I had just managed the election of one, and was chairing the transition of the other. People can say whatever they’d like, but both were successful. One leaves office as everyone’s favorite uncle, a two-term Executive that lead the county through a period of massive change and advancement, and will some day be remembered for vast improvements to Cedarbrook and guiding his county through a global pandemic and societal unrest, while preserving open space and a county nursing home. The other lead for eight years of the same conditions while not raising taxes a dime, preserving a record amount of open space, and keeping Gracedale county home, all while not cutting services. Both are being succeeded by a candidate from their own party.
People liked what they had.
That is now the past tense though. I think both are leaving popular, but most of the public doesn’t like the idea of just “running it back.” Why would they? Times change, society changes, communities need new things. It’s just life. And so we are getting their new transition teams. First, on Northampton County Executive-elect Tara Zrinski’s:
The committee, which will appoint key advisors and set policy priorities for the nascent Zrinski administration, will be chaired by Glenn Reibman, who was county executive from 1998 to 2006.
Zrinski also appointed two other senior leaders to help oversee the process.
Mark Aurand, an attorney who currently assists Zrinski as deputy controller, will serve as transition chairman.
Megan Beste, previously a staffer for former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild who now works for Bethlehem consulting firm Taggart Associates, will be the committee’s senior advisor.
The job of managing communications for the committee falls to Kelly Prentice, an Easton resident who works as a writer and marketing strategist.
Four additional members round out the group: Nazareth School Board member Brandon Faust, Northampton Community College environmental studies professor Anita Erdős Forrester, former Colonial Intermediate Unit supervisor and county election commissioner Margie DeRenzis, and controller’s office solicitor Steve Goudsouzian.
The Executive-Elect is also setting out several issues of priority for her team to address:
They are: health and human services, housing and homelessness, economic development, infrastructure, public safety and criminal justice, equity and environmental issues.
In all, the resulting advisory body could grow to include more than 90 people drafted from the worlds of organized labor, finance, law, social services, small business, nonprofits and public advocacy.
I would say this is pretty ambitious. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some of these are more within the county’s legal range than others, however there are some things the county can do even in areas that are traditionally outside of their realm that can be helpful. I’m particularly interested in the infrastructure, environmental issues, housing, and health and human services areas, so I’m looking forward to see what they say.
The transition team will be chaired by Jim Irwin, President of the Lehigh Valley Labor Council and Business Agent for the Operating Engineers Local 542 and Samantha Pearson, Director of Development at the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
I don’t know Samantha, but I was kind of hard on the LVPC. Knowing Josh, if he picks her, she’ll be solid. As for Jim, he’s an A+ guy. I’m a fan. Josh is organizing his transition into policy areas too.
The transition team consists of the following committees that will begin meeting in December.
Human Services Subcommittee:
Chair: Marci Lesko, President and CEO of the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
Kate Cohen: Vice President, Institutional Advancement River Crossing YMCA
Marc Rittle, Executive Director, New Bethany
Brad Osborne, Former Lehigh County Commissioner & Chair of Board
Eric Ruth, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Kellyn Foundation
Housing Subcommittee:
Jonathan Strauss, Co-Founder and Partner Cortex Residential
Abby Goldfarb, Executive Director, Lehigh Conference of Churches
Robert DiLorenzo, Director of Planning and Construction, City Center Group
Phil Malitsch, Director of Land Development Tuskes Homes
Asher Schiavone, Director of Government Affairs, Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors
Economic Development and Regional Growth Subcommittee:
Jason Salus, Montgomery County Treasurer
Dave Nasatir, Chair of Firm, Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippell LLP
Alex Michaels, President and CEO Discover Lehigh Valley
Frank Facchiano is COO and Executive Vice President, Member Relations, Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce
Kristin Cahayla-Hoffman, Vice President of Business Development and Attraction, Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation
Paul Anthony, Business Manager/Financial Secretary International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 375 and President of the Lehigh Valley Building Trades
Labor/Personnel Subcommittee:
Joe Scoboria, Business Representative, AFSCME 13
Andy Hilt, Business Agent, SEIU 668 for Lehigh County
Danielle Joseph, Executive Vice President, Business & Diversity Councils, Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce
Chris Naylor, Legislative and Political Director, UFCW 1776
Public Safety Subcommittee:
Allentown Police Chief Charles Roca
Jeani Garcia, Director of Operations, Promise Neighborhoods
Katarah A Jordan, CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Allentown
Jeremy Warmkessel, President of IAFF Local 302
Tinku Khanwalkar, Member of Pennsylvania Prison Society, Member of Allentown Environmental Advisory Council focused on environmental sustainability, justice and equity
Local Resilience and Response to Trump Administration:
Mary Erdman, Immediate Past President, Lehigh County League of Women Voters
Adam Hosey, Policy and Political Director, Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates
Nicole Folino, Community Services Manager, Second Harvest Food Bank
I’m intrigued by a lot here. Human services, because that’s what counties do. His economic development team is dynamite. I’m again interested in what the county wants to do to get involved in housing, and obviously what they come up with to respond to the Trump Administration.
Both Executives are being a bit ambitious here, but that’s not a bad thing for someone who just got elected. If you start from the “we can’t do anything” stance, you’ll be asleep in a few months. Josh went heavy on labor, while Tara’s team has a lot more of the core team around her as both Controller and a candidate. They’re solid groups with lots of people I like. I wish them both well.
Apocalypse Vibes 