Incumbents start new terms on Allentown City Council; election of new leaders delayed

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Meet the new Allentown City Council; same as the old Allentown City Council.

Three incumbents were sworn in Tuesday to new terms after cruising to electoral victories last year.

Cecilia “Ce-Ce” Gerlach, Santo Napoli and Candida Affa saw off four challengers to secure the Democratic Party’s nominations for council in May. They faced no opposition from Republicans in the November general election.

They took their oaths of office in order of their vote totals, with newly elected District Judge Mark McCants administering the oath to Napoli and Gerlach before Affa was sworn in by District Judge Michael D’Amore.

Napoli, who owns the assembly88 clothing store in downtown Allentown, thanked voters for supporting him in his first campaign for public office.

“I’m looking forward to bringing all the experience I’ve gathered over the years running successful small businesses and using that experience to help move our city forward in a positive direction,” he said after retaking his seat on council.

Gerlach also thanked voters before paying tribute to her family and others “who have been with me since 2011 when I was a little kid and I was running for school board.”

“I just really want to thank you for sticking with me through thick and thin and ugly. Thank you for being here tonight,” Gerlach said, reserving special praise for her mother who came to the ceremony.

“My mom is here; she didn’t want me to call her out,” Gerlach said to a round of applause. “I wish there were words that could really convey — and now I want to cry, so, thank you, Mom.”

Affa said she will “work … with honesty and integrity for the benefit of all citizens.”

Gerlach and Affa are starting their third four-year terms.

Napoli is starting his full first term after being appointed to the council about a year ago to fill the vacancy left by Josh Siegel’s election to the state House of Representatives.

Incumbent Allentown City Controller Jeff Glazier also was sworn in Tuesday to a new term, his 10th such ceremony across almost a quarter-century of public service.

“It’s been an interesting ride over those 24 years,” Glazier said.

Glazier, who has also served as an Allentown School District director and city councilman, said each of his swearing-in ceremonies was “very special because it reminds me of the faith that the people of Allentown have put in me and the expectations that they’ve had for me.”

“Every day, I come to work and do my best to meet those expectations and move my office forward and help to move the city forward,” Glazier said.

“I’m going to do my best to make these next 4 years my best years of public service in service to the city of Allentown.”

Big raises coming

Glazier and council members are due to get huge raises after voters authorized them in November.

The controller’s salary is set to jump from just under $50,000 to about $76,000 after voters approved a referendum to tie that officeholder’s salary to the mayor’s pay.

Council members are also in line for hefty raises, with voters backing a measure to increase their pay from $6,400 — the same as it was a quarter-century ago — to $15,000.

Council’s president is set to earn $16,000.

But members will not see those raises for several years.

Council President Daryl Hendricks previously said current members would not see those raises unless they are re-elected in future years.

Affa, Gerlach and Napoli would have to win new terms in 2027 to see their pay jump to $15,000 the next year, he said.

Hendricks will hang on to his title as president for one more week after council postponed its plans to elect new leaders Tuesday.

Hendricks moved to delay Tuesday’s reorganization until council’s Jan. 10 meeting because Vice President Cynthia Mota was ill and could not attend to cast a vote.