ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Allentown has an interim city controller until the end of 2027.
Allentown City Council held a special meeting Tuesday night to interview the shortlist of candidates for the vacant position. Jeff Glazier, who served in the role since 2016 and had been reelected to the position three times, died in May.
In a 5-2 vote, council appointed Jasmine Salgado to serve the remainder of the term. Evette D’Amore and Patrick Palmer were the other two candidates who were interviewed Tuesday. All three candidates acknowledged the contributions Glazier made to the position and to the city as a community leader.
Council President Santo Napoli said the controller position provides independent financial oversight of city finances, reviews expenditures across city government, inspects the annual budget, and may make recommendations to the mayor and City Council. Among other responsibilities, the controller is also expected to attend city meetings and perform audits.
Following Glazier’s death, council publicly advertised the vacant role and required applicants to submit resumes and statements explaining the value they would bring to the position. The city’s home rule charter and City Council rules required applicants to be qualified voters, as well as members of the same political party as Glazier, who was a Democrat.
The City of Allentown is mourning after the death of a longtime community leader.
Napoli said the city received more than 50 resumes that council staff reviewed and narrowed down to the three candidates interviewed Tuesday night. Each candidate received 10 minutes to present their experience, qualifications and value to the city in the role. They each also had two minutes for closing statements about why City Council should appoint them.
According to Salgado’s resume, she currently serves as co-founder, executive director and Certified Financial Education Instructor for Valley Wealth Alliance, a nonprofit that offers financial education and programs to individuals and families in low- to moderate-income communities. Salgado’s resume said she previously served as financial administrator for The Baum School of Art.
“When something doesn’t line up, I ask questions,” Salgado said during her presentation. “I go back to the source, I look for the supporting documentation, and I follow the numbers until I understand what happened.”
“When I read the city controller responsibilities for independent financial oversight, reviewing expenditures and identifying discrepancies, I immediately connected with that responsibility,” she said.
Salgado took the oath of office at the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting.