Meet County Executive Candidate John Callahan

Editor's note: In the weeks leading up to the May 21 primary, we asked Easton area candidates to fill out questionnaires about themselves. This is how county executive hopeful John Callahan responded.

John Callahan

Age: 43

Family: Wife, Mafalda; Children: Sarah, John, and Evan

Political party affiliation: Democratic

Tell us about your educational background: I graduated from Liberty High School and went on to get my B.S. in Biology from Moravian College in 1991 (Cum Laude).

Tell us about your professional/business background:

Senior Institutional Healthcare Consultant at Pfizer (12 years); Bethlehem City Councilman 1998-2004 (7 years); Mayor of Bethlehem 2004-2013 (10 years).

Why are you running for Northampton County Executive?

I am running for County Executive, because I have a lifetime commitment to public service and a dedication to working to make my community a better place to live for my children and our future generations. I believe that by working together, we can move Northampton County forward.

What qualifies you to serve as the executive?

I had the amazing opportunity to be part of city government when I was elected to City Council before the age of 30 and have had the honor to lead the City of Bethlehem through a period of great transition and growth as its Mayor during the last ten years.

I am proud of my record in Bethlehem. During a time when many cities are near bankruptcy, Bethlehem is in its strongest financial position in decades, with a bright future. Even Standard & Poors has given us a positive outlook. As Mayor, we eliminated the deficit, and we have $90 million less debt today than when I took office.

We have tackled some of the toughest legacy costs and we ran back-to-back surpluses, even topping a million dollars this year. We’ve created over 5,500 jobs and attracted $2 billion in private sector investments.

Not many municipalities can say that emerging from the Great Recession and getting to that point required strong leadership and making some tough decisions along the way. That’s the type of leadership and results you can expect when I’m Northampton County Executive.


What do you see as the job's primary role and responsibilities?

I believe the chief role of County Executive is to ensure the delivery of quality, cost-effective county services in a balanced way that is fair to both taxpayers and employees. As County Executive I will focus on preserving farmland, promoting the redevelopment of brownfields, and fostering economic growth that creates jobs and expands the tax base, keeping our neighborhoods safe and our schools strong.

Tell us about three major challenges facing the county and how you would address them.



(Please be as specific as possible)

1. Economic Development & Job Creation. Northampton County must get back into the business of economic development as a core function of county government. Certainly government doesn’t create jobs, but it can serve to create the type of environment that fosters job growth.

I have a three point plan: One, I will begin by appointing a Director of Community & Economic Development. That director will coordinate efforts between the County, businesses, and communities and encourage innovation
to bring 21st Century jobs to Northampton.

Two, we have to identify and coordinate small and large scale redevelopment opportunities throughout our communities. Whether it’s revitalizing a brownfield
like we did in Bethlehem or rehabbing a borough storefront into a mixed use facility, we must aggressively pursue every opportunity.

Three, we must make serious investments in infrastructure. We can’t keep or attract businesses here if we don’t address our failing roads and bridges. We must also ensure there are developed properties available for companies who want to make Northampton County home.

2. Keeping Gracedale County owned. For me, this is simple. I solemnly pledge, as long as I’m County Executive, Gracedale will never be sold. I will take whatever measures necessary to honor my pledge and maintain Gracedale’s position as the jewel of the county. And it’s not just about providing quality
healthcare – Gracedale provides a peace of mind for Northampton County families who are faced with making difficult decisions regarding their loved ones.

3. Fiscal Responsibility. Northampton County is currently running an unsustainable structural deficit where the government spends more than it takes in and is forced to chip away at the reserve fund.

It’s simply not fair to the taxpayers. Tough choices will have to be made, but I have consistently demonstrated the willingness to step up and make the right decisions, even if they weren’t the most popular. That’s the type of leadership required to be County Executive and my record in this area is clear.

As Mayor, I balanced the budget, eliminated the deficit, cut the debt by $90 million and ran back-to-back surpluses for the first time in 20 years. Last year’s surplus alone was over $1 million. As County Executive I will focus on achieving those same results.

How much are you spending to run? How is your campaign being funded?


My campaign has raised over $400,000 to date. On May 10, we filed our pre-primary report showing that we’ve raised $198,503 since January 1 and have $129,333 left on hand. Throughout the campaign I have received contributions large and small from over 500 individuals and organizations.

What, if any, endorsements have you received?

The Express-Times
Ed Rendell, Former Governor of Pennsylvania
Matt Cartwright, United States Congressman (PA-17)
Sal Panto Jr., Mayor of Easton
Jerry Seyfried, Former Northampton County Executive
Steve Samuelson, Pennsylvania State Representative (PA-135)
Rich Grucela, Former Pennsylvania State Representative (PA-137)
T.J. Rooney, Former Pennsylvania State Representative (PA-133)
Bob Werner, Northampton County Council
David Perusso, Mayor of Wilson Borough
Richard Fluck, Mayor of Hellertown Borough
William Molchany, Mayor of North Catasauqua
Tony Bassil, Easton City Controller
Elinor Warner, Easton City Council
Roger Ruggles, Easton City Council
Jeff Warren, Easton City Council
Frank Pintabone, Easton Area School Board
Baron Vanderburg, Easton Area School Board
Jim Smith, Freemansburg Borough Council
Justin Labar, Freemansburg Borough Council
Michael Romano, Roseto Borough Council President
David DePalma, Pen Argyl Borough Council
Jack Herbst, Nazareth Borough Council
John Yanek, North Catasuaqua Borough Council
David Stankovic, Walnuport Borough Council
James McGowan, Wilson Borough Council
Janis Krieger, Wilson Area School Board
William Holmes, Allen Township Supervisor
David Willard, Lower Saucon Township Supervisor
Ann Marie Panella, Palmer Township Supervisor
Michael Mitchell, Palmer Township Supervisor
Michael Recchiuti, Bethlehem City Council/Chair of the Bethlehem City Democratic
Eric Evans, Bethlehem City Council President
Karen Dolan, Bethlehem City Council

Kaija Farber, Bethlehem City Treasurer
Jack Burke, Former Chair of the Bethlehem City Democratic Committee
Joe Long, Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party Northeast Caucus
Aurea Ortiz, Bethlehem Area School Board
Shannon Patrick, Bethlehem Area School Board
Basilio Bonilla, Bethlehem Area School Board
Sudantha Vidanage, Bethlehem Area School Board
Michael Faccinetto, Bethlehem Area School Board

Do you use social media? If so, please provide links to your Facebook and Twitter.

• Website: CallahanForExecutive.com
• Facebook: /JohnBCallahan
• Twitter: @John_Callahan