Editor\u2019s Note: The Morning Call solicited Your Views from the two candidates in the race for the Northampton County executive\u2019s seat, Tara Zrinski, a Democrat who is the county controller, and Thomas Giovanni, a Republican who is a County Council member. The candidates were asked to discuss the main issues they feel are facing the county, and how they would approach them. They were further asked to focus on their plans, rather than attacking their opponent.<\/p>\n
Your Views from the Lehigh County candidates for executive will be published Thursday.<\/p>\n
For too long, Northampton County has drifted in the wrong direction \u2014 bogged down by mismanagement, wasteful spending and a lack of accountability. Working families have to work harder than ever, but they\u2019re seeing less in return. County employees are frustrated, morale is low and confidence in our local government has faded.<\/p>\n
As I travel across our county \u2014 from Bangor to Bethlehem, from Easton to Northampton \u2014 one message rings loud and clear: it\u2019s time for a change.<\/p>\n
That is why I am running for Northampton County executive. I\u2019m ready to restore trust, transparency and common sense to county government. My campaign isn\u2019t about politics \u2014 it\u2019s about people. It\u2019s about protecting working families, supporting our employees and making Northampton County a place where everyone feels their government is working for them, not against them.<\/p>\n
The backbone of our county is our working families \u2014 the parents balancing two jobs to make ends meet, the small-business owners who keep our local economy strong, and the seniors who built this community with their hands and hearts. They deserve leadership that listens and fights for them.<\/p>\n
On Day 1.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll take a hard look at every dollar being spent. Every program, every contract, every initiative will be reviewed for efficiency and impact. If it doesn\u2019t serve the taxpayers or improve county services, we\u2019ll change it. My goal is simple \u2014 a government that delivers results. We can protect working families by focusing on lowering costs, improving access to essential services and ensuring that our county infrastructure is strong, modern and reliable. That means safer infrastructure, and more support for small businesses that keep our communities vibrant.<\/p>\n
Government only works when people trust it \u2014 and that trust has been broken. NorthamptonCounty residents deserve honesty and transparency from their leaders. Too many decisionshave been made in backrooms, without public input or oversight. That\u2019s not how the government should operate.<\/p>\n
I will meet with every department head and employee across county government to ensure they feel heard, valued and respected. County employees are the backbone of our operations \u2014 from human services to public safety to our courthouse and 911 center. They deserve leadership that empowers them, not one that leaves them in the dark or fearful about their future.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll also introduce a countywide transparency initiative that puts information directly in the hands of the public. Budgets, contracts and performance reports should be easily accessible to every taxpayer. Northampton County belongs to the people \u2014 and they have the right to see how it\u2019s being run.<\/p>\n
Gracedale, our county-owned nursing home, isn\u2019t just a facility \u2014 it\u2019s a promise. It represents our county\u2019s commitment to compassion, dignity and care for our seniors. But over the past several years, that promise has been put at risk through poor management, low morale and a lack of direction.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve spoken with families who have loved ones at Gracedale and with employees who dedicate their lives to caring for our most vulnerable. They deserve better. Gracedale is not a political talking point \u2014 it\u2019s a lifeline for hundreds of residents and a source of pride for Northampton County.<\/p>\n
As county executive, I will protect Gracedale by ensuring it has strong leadership, adequate staffing and the resources it needs to succeed. We\u2019ll prioritize patient care and staff support \u2014 not bureaucracy or politics. Gracedale should once again be known as one of the finest county nursing homes in Pennsylvania, not a headline for dysfunction.<\/p>\n
This election is about more than policies and budgets \u2014 it\u2019s about restoring faith in what our county government can be. It\u2019s about leadership that shows up, listens and acts. On Day 1, I\u2019ll bring together our county\u2019s department leaders and employees to set a clear direction. I want to hear directly from them what\u2019s working, what\u2019s not and how we can make our operations better. When employees feel supported and respected, the entire county benefits.<\/p>\n
As a lifetime resident of the Slate Belt in Northampton County, I graduated from Pius X high school, attended Northampton Community College and Lincoln Technical Institute for degrees in business administration and specialized electronics. I will be committed to giving my all in leadership from my adult experiences to today\u2019s economic environment.<\/p>\n
Change isn\u2019t easy, but it\u2019s necessary. Northampton County has so much potential, and with the right leadership, we can unlock it. Let\u2019s restore pride in our government, protect our families and make our county stronger for the next generation.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s time for new leadership. It\u2019s time for accountability. It\u2019s time to move Northampton County forward \u2014 together.<\/p>\n
This is a contributed opinion column. Thomas Giovanni is a Northampton County council member. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author, and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication. Do you have a perspective to share? Learn more about how we handle guest opinion submissions at themorningcall.com\/opinions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Editor\u2019s Note: The Morning Call solicited Your Views from the two candidates in the race for the Northampton…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11202,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154,1559],"class_list":["post-11201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}