ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown City Council looks set to approve Mayor Matt Tuerk’s 2025 budget mostly as he proposed it.
However, some council members are looking to make relatively small changes to next year’s spending plan ahead of its likely passage Wednesday.
Among those are several measures related to an expected 46% hike in trash collection fees next year.
A divided council this fall approved a five-year, $90 million contract with J.P. Mascaro & Sons for trash collection. That’s set to raise the price for garbage collection from $415 in 2024 to $605 in 2025.
And the price could climb again in 2026, with officials projecting a $135 increase to $740 — a jump of more than 75% in just two years.
Expanded rebates
Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach is co-sponsoring the addition of two rebates to help some residents and organizations, though it’s unclear whether either will be included in the final budget.
Gerlach and Councilman Ed Zucal are pushing Tuerk to offer a 10% discount on the trash collection fee to nonprofits that work to provide affordable housing or related services in the city.
And Councilwoman Natalie Santos joined Gerlach to call for no increases for landlords who don’t raise their rents.
Tuerk on Wednesday told council members he “freaking love[s]” the proposals, but cautioned it would be difficult to launch rebate programs in time for the start of next year.
He urged council to work with administration officials in 2025 to develop those programs for the 2026 budget.
Council is likely to pass a separate amendment related to an expanded rebate program for senior citizens.
The city offers full rebates for residents 65 and older who own and occupy their homes and make less than $15,000 a year.
Fewer than 50 people were eligible for that rebate in Allentown, a city of more than 125,000.
Council members now are considering a tiered rebate program that could reach about 1,000 people.
"Tying the rebate program’s income limit to an often-updated federal statistic instead of a specific number could save council a lot of procedural work in future years."Mayor Matt Tuerk
Senior homeowners making less than $15,000 would get a 75% rebate under that program, with 50% rebates for those making up to $25,000 and 10% rebates for senior homeowners earning up to $30,000.
But a small tweak proposed Wednesday could bump that top income limit to $34,450. That’s the number designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as “very low income” for a one-person household.
Tying the rebate program’s income limit to that often-updated federal statistic instead of a specific number could save council a lot of procedural work in future years, Tuerk told members.
Penny-pinching
Council members on Wednesday also dug into several penny-pinching amendments to Tuerk's proposed $145 million general fund budget.
Councilman Ed Zucal and Daryl Hendricks questioned the value of $1,500 one-time bonuses for employees who complete professional certifications relevant to their jobs.
"One-time payments of $1,500 for employees employees who complete professional certifications are 'free money' and 'an abuse.'"Allentown City Councilman Ed Zucal
They proposed a pause on those payments until the city’s administration developed and adopted a new personnel policy manual, which Tuerk said is in the works.
Zucal called the bonuses “free money” and “an abuse” — characterizations the mayor disputed.
Those bonuses incentivize Allentown employees “to invest in themselves” and “create tremendous value for the city,” Tuerk said.
An administration official told members the $1,500 bonus has been paid out 29 times since 2022, accounting for $43,500 in city spending across three years.
Zucal and Hendricks also tried to reduce a proposed $10,000 raise for city solicitor Jack Gross.
Gross, whose appointment council unanimously approved in June 2023, is scheduled to be paid $70,000 in 2024 as part-time leader of the city’s law department.
The city budgeted more than $118,000 in 2023 for a full-time solicitor’s salary and thousands more for benefits.
Tuerk is proposing a $10,000 raise next year for Gross.
Hendricks on Wednesday proposed halving that to $5,000, a measure that failed when council split 3-3 after Councilman Santo Napoli recused himself from the vote over previous business dealings with Gross.
A measure to reduce the raise to $2,500 also failed, so Gross’ salary will rise to $80,000 unless members revisit it before approving the full budget.
Council plans to vote on Allentown’s final 2025 budget on Dec. 18.
