Easton Approves Commuter Tax Hike

After months of an ongoing debate, Easton City Council approved an increase to the city's

The term refers to the earned income tax for people who work in Easton but aren't residents of the city. Those workers had been paying a 1 percent tax, but will now begin paying 1.75 percent. 

Wednesday's vote increases the earned income tax for non-resident workers from 1 percent to 1.75 percent. The money earned from that increase will help the city pay its pension costs, projected at $1.8 million for next year.

The vote was 6-1, with Councilman Jeff Warren casting the only "no" vote.

"I will be voting no because I don’t think every single option was looked at," said Warren.

 -- published last month by Easton Patch and other media outlets -- arguing against the tax and saying the city should establish a PILOT -- Payment In Lieu Of Taxes -- program instead.

Mayor Sal Panto accused Warren of "political grandstanding" without offering any solutions.

Panto said a vote against the bill would hurt Easton residents in the long run, because they would then have to fill the financial gap the following year by possibly increasing property taxes, or begin budget cuts to make-up for financial loss.

The tax increase had been , including those who work for Northampton County.