Former Easton Area School Board president Kerry Myers has joined the race for Northampton County Council.

Myers, a Democrat from Easton's South Side, announced his candidacy Friday morning in front of the county government center, saying he wanted to help the county "move forward."

He said his top issues were making sure the county made the right decision in moving its human services department, reducing overcrowding in the prison, and maintaining Gracedale, the county-owned nursing home.

"As long as we can keep it sustainable and make it profitable, we should keep it going," he said.

Myers at one point said he wanted to push for the county to add more judges, but appeared to back away from that position after blogger Bernie O'Hare noted that all nine judge positions were/would be filled.

It was a short announcement, with Myers taking time away from his job as assitant supervisor of custodians at Lafayette College to speak to reporters and his supporters. He used that as proof of his working-class roots.

"I'm not here in a shirt and tie," he said. "I'm here on my lunch break."

Myers served for five years on the Easton Area School Board, spending his final year as president. He stepped down at the end of 2011 after not seeking re-election.

Also running for county council this year are former Nazareth Area School Board member Deb Hunter, Lower Nazareth resident Hayden Phillips and Seth Vaughn, a Bethlehem resident who ran for council in 2011.