ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown City Council on Wednesday seemed to silently signal at least some support for Mayor Matt Tuerk’s proposed 2025 budget.
Tuerk and city Finance Director Bina Patel delivered an overview of their spending plan for next year during the first meeting of budget season.
Tuerk repeated his administration’s goal of keeping the city’s property-tax rate flat while “providing essential city services that protect the public safety, maintain the public's infrastructure and safeguard the public's health.”
The city also would add no new positions next year.
Patel gave a much more detailed rundown of the finance department’s proposed 2025 budget, pausing on multiple occasions to offer council opportunities to ask questions.
But Allentown City Council members had none, and council President Cynthia Mota each time invited Patel to continue without further interruption.
There is plenty of time ahead for deeper examinations of that budget, with at least three more meetings scheduled before its adoption.
After Patel spoke about Allentown’s five-year plan and capital projects, Council Vice President Santo Napoli asked about upcoming changes in permitting and contracts for various unions of city employees.
Ample time for questions
Mota quickly ended the meeting, with no other questions from members for Tuerk or Patel about their 2025 budget overview.
There is ample time for deeper examinations of that budget, with at least three more meetings scheduled before its adoption.
Allentown Police Chief Charles Roca, Fire Chief Efrain Agosto and EMS Chief Mehmet Barzev are scheduled to deliver their proposed budgets to council on Nov. 6, as are Parks and Recreation Director Mandy Tolino and Public Works Director Mark Shahda.
A host of other department heads are due to speak about their budget requests Nov. 13 and Nov. 20.
Tuerk said he hopes council approves the budget on Dec. 4, but council has until the end of the year to adopt an annual spending plan for next year.
Budget season could go much smoother than was expected for most of the year after the mayor repeatedly clashed with council members at budget hearings in 2023 over his requests for tax increases.
Residents will avoid a property tax increase next year, but Tuerk already has warned council will likely have to raise taxes in 2026.
