Easton Mayor Wins Planning Award

Sal Panto honored by the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Planning Association.

The Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association has given Easton Mayor Sal Panto its "Planning Leadership Award."  The group presented its annual awards this week at a conference in Erie, honoring Panto for his "planning-driven and business friendly approach."  The APA singled out the mayor's push for a pedestrian-friendly downtown, the transformation from Delaware Terrace to Neston Heights, and the city's development code. In a news release, Panto said he was most proud of the city's housing rehab program in its residential neighborhoods. 

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Panto Battles Other Mayors, Laryngitis in Cook-Off

Blogger Andy Novick provides this video of Mayor Sal Panto facing off against his counterpart from Phillipsburg during the Easton Garlic Fest

Our blogger Andy Novick went above and beyond the call of duty this weekend, patroling the Easton Garlic Fest with a pretty elaborate camera/microphone set-up to get video of the festivities. He blogged about it, but we thought we'd highlight his good work here as well. One of the things he captured Sunday was the annual Mayor's Challenge, in which Easton Mayor Sal Panto and other local mayors -- joined by chefs from their respective communties -- make a garlic-themed dish. We should note the mayor had laryngitis over the weekend, hence his higher-than-normal voice. Also, if you were out and took photos and videos this weekend, our Pics and Clips section is the perfect place for them.  

Mayor: No Tax Increase For Easton in 2013

Easton Mayor Sal Panto previews city's 2013 budget, discusses parking changes.

Easton's proposed 2013 budget keeps all major taxes and fees at the same level, Mayor Sal Panto told city council Monday night. Next year will see the city making and spending $31.1 million, the mayor said, without increasing property taxes, earned income taxes, wastewater fees or garbage bills.  In order to fund the budget, the mayor is recommending a $2-per-month "billing charge" on all trash and wastewater bills, although he hopes to have senior citizens exempted from this charge. And in order to pay for the programs run out of the Greater Easton Development Charge, the city will look to do something it talked about last year at budget time: increase parking fees. Panto's recommendation calls for Downtown parking meters to go from 50 …

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Amend Wun

9:27 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012

@Bill- what cuts are you referring to?   more ›

Congressional Candidate Matt Cartwright Campaigns on the Delaware

17th Congressional District Democratic Candidate Matt Cartwright paddled down the Delaware River to Easton to stump for his campaign and the environment.

  On a picture-perfect day made for a canoe ride down the Delaware River and glad-handing at campaign stops, Matt Cartwright, the Democratic candidate for Congress in the newly redrawn 17th District, managed to do both. On Sunday, Cartwright ended a three-day, 30-mile canoe trip down the pristine waters of the Delaware with supporters and members of the Sierra Club at a picnic thrown for him in Scott Park in Easton. There to greet him was Mayor Sal Panto. "Coming to Easton is a huge part of the campaign," said Cartwright, a progressive who unseated 10-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Tim Holden in the Democratic primary in April. Cartwright, a Scranton attorney, said he intended to get know his constituents in the Easton area and work closely with…

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Easton Mayor Will Inspect Properties

Easton Mayor Sal Panto plans to lead the inspection of 200 properties in the 600 block of Northampton Street.

Attention property owners on the 600 block of Northampton Street: Clean up. The mayor's coming. Mayor Sal Panto announced today he'll lead an inspection of over 200 properties on the block Thursday afternoon, part of a program to conduct block-by-block inspections around Easton. The program is "designed to assist residents, property and business owners improve the quality, appearance and value of their neighborhood; a key to the revitalization of the city," the mayor's office said in a news release. The city has been focusing on improvements to the 600 block for the last two years, viewing it as a bridge between Easton's Downtown and West Ward sections. The entire block is made up of either commercial buildings or rental properties. 

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Easton Mayor Headed to Israel for Conference

Easton Mayor Sal Panto will attend the 28th annual International Mayors Conference in Israel next week.

One of only 14 mayors from the U.S. invited by the Israeli government to the 28th annual International Mayors Conference, Easton Mayor Sal Panto will fly to the Holy Land for a week on May 4. Also attending will be Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, Panto said at Wednesday's city council meeting. The Israeli government will be picking up the tab for the stay and the conference, Panto said. He added that he would have footed the bill personally for travel expenses, except the Jewish community in Easton has contributed the money for his airfare. On the agenda is a meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and trips to Tel Aviv, Haifa, Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth. The mayors will also attend a variety of workshops on a number …

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Easton Commuter Tax Issue Undecided

The proposed tax was criticized by members of the public; city council members say they're undecided.

It seems a proposed increase of the Easton's Earned Income Tax (EIT) aimed at raising revenue from the city's commuters is nearly universally unpopular. The proposal would tax those that work but do not live within the city limits 0.75 percent in addition to whatever EIT their own municipality imposes. Currently, residents are subject to a 1.75 percent EIT. The new tax would affect approximately 10,600 people. A handful of commuters and city residents said the new tax would fail to achieve the city's aims, and would discourage more business in the city. Speaking on behalf of Wolper Information Services, Adrian Shanker, of Bethlehem, said commuters buy lunch, fill up their gas tanks and patronize other businesses in the city, all of which …

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DOCurmudgeon

10:47 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012

Awmigod, Concerned Citizen, have you thought this through at all? No, of course not. If higher tax is imposed, there will be fewer businesses that will come to Easton! There will be a penaalty for working here ! I believe that Ronnie lives in Easton and works elsewhere; you sure don't know what you are taking about.   more ›

Economic Development Easton's Highest Priority, Panto Says

In the state of the city address, Mayor Sal Panto said continued economic development is his administration's highest priority.

Furthering local economic development, especially attracting new residents and job-creating businesses that will help grow Easton's tax base, is at the top of the city's to-do list, said Mayor Sal Panto, presenting the annual state of the city address to city council Wednesday evening. "Economic development – the retention of jobs, the creation of jobs and expansion of the tax base must be the highest priority of the City. We must be a best place to do business," Panto said. Panto kept the tone of the address positive and noted the number of improvements, completed projects and ongoing initiatives that have taken place during his administration, saying that  "clean and safe," a platform he campaigned on four and a half years ago, is still …

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Easton Meets Congressman Tim Holden

Easton area Democrats welcome U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, denounce the redistricting that brought him here.

Northampton County Democratic politicians welcomed the region's new congressman Wednesday, even as they denounced the redistricting that brought him here. U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, was in Easton Wednesday to introduce himself to his new constituents, whom he inherited after a new redistricting plan moved much of Northampton County into Holden's 17th district. Speaking at a news conference at the county courthouse, Holden said he shares people's frustration with the new district, and promised to get to know Northampton County and its issues. "I will be available. I will be visible," Holden said, adding that he'll establish an office in the county if he wins re-election this year. The new district lines become official in January 2013. Holden, …

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Preliminary 2013 Easton Budget Presented

Early draft shows potential $1.5M revenue gap, calls for hiring eight new city employees

A preliminary draft budget for 2013 was presented at the Easton City Council meeting Wednesday evening. The early budget presentation and projections are required by the city's Home Rule Charter. In the presentation, Mayor Sal Panto stressed that such early budget drafts for the past three years have also contained such gaps, but that when the actual document is assembled, those shortfalls have been eliminated while still maintaining the current tax rate without increases. The year after this coming one may be more difficult though, Panto said, due to decreases in state and federal funding of existing and often mandated programs. The current projected revenue for 2013 is flat or slightly negative at just over $28.57 million, and projected …

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