BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Most say Bethlehem is booming.
But the city isn’t without its challenges.
Examples of both were topics of Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds' State of the City presentation Thursday at Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest, which addressed not only many recent successes, but challenges as well.
- Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds presented his State of the City address Thursday
- The presentation addressed both successes and challenges
- For example, while the city faces an affordable housing crisis, there are plans to address it
As a significant example, Janine Santoro, the city's director of equity and inclusion, highlighted a two-year equity plan that aims to seek out disparities at the source in government and in neighborhoods around Bethlehem.
“While barriers and gaps to services existed long before 2020, the pandemic had a way of revealing those disparities in a way that is undeniable,” Santoro said.
“The city of Bethlehem is seeking to create an equity plan which will help us to provide all people across different backgrounds and lived experiences the best quality of life possible by creating a systemic way of approaching our work in city hall to address those disparities.”
Santoro said the plan will see a “multi-layered” approach, including some different phases:
- A collaborative internal process in city government to assess policies, initiatives, programs and budget issues in each department
- Neighborhood analysis examining how certain residents could be affected by existing programs and practices
- A period to educate and engage with others using peer-learning opportunities and policymaking conversations
- A time of enactment, with the goal of building trust and consensus during the implementation of the new programs
Angie Stein, director of mayor’s initiatives, said other efforts regarding city culture and inclusion have included:
- Holding flag-raising events at city hall in honor of transgender and gay communities as well as the local Irish, Slovenian, Ukrainian, Greek and Chilean communities
- A town hall forum surrounding LGBTQ+ services in Bethlehem and beyond
- A Call to Action for National Gun Violence Awareness Day
- The annual Menorah Lighting to recognize Hanukkah
- Starting the process to initiate a sister city partnership with Puerto Rico
Affordable housing in the Lehigh Valley
Sara Satullo, the city's deputy director of community development, shared more on the affordable housing demand in the area and its respective assessment results to be released in early summer.
“It will serve as a blueprint for the city to develop programs to invest that $5 million [from the city budget] into affordable housing solutions. It is so critical we invest in proven housing strategies, because we know that every $100 increase in median rent results in a corresponding 9% increase in homelessness.”Sara Satullo, deputy director of community development
“It will serve as a blueprint for the city to develop programs to invest that $5 million [from the city budget] into affordable housing solutions,” Satullo said.
“It is so critical we invest in proven housing strategies, because we know that every $100 increase in median rent results in a corresponding 9 percent increase in homelessness.”
Over the past three years, home sales prices in Bethlehem have risen 52%, while rent for a one-bedroom apartment has jumped 57%.
The median rent around the city has jumped nearly $400 since the start of the pandemic Satullo said.
That makes the Lehigh Valley’s rental market more expensive than Philadelphia's, she said.
A referenced housing assessment shows the city vacancy rate at 2% of crisis level.
“The problem is not confined to Bethlehem," Satullo said. "It’s being seen across the Lehigh Valley and the nation. Our economic successes still make our housing issues all the more challenging.”
Business is booming
The mayor said making financial decisions to benefit the long term and not specifically the short term has the city in a good spot with its money.
A 1% income tax attracts new businesses and investment from the private sectors, while also keeping people excited to live in the area, he said.
The city will bring in close to $11 million from 2022 income taxes, according to a slideshow featured at the event.
“Bethlehem is in a great financial position compared to every other city,” Reynolds said. “We are continuing to move forward.
"I need to say ‘thank you,’ both to our city employees that continue to do more with less, and our private sector for continuing to believe in our city."Mayor J. William Reynolds
“And I need to say thank you, both to our city employees that continue to do more with less, and our private sector for continuing to believe in our city.”
The city has been paid down debt faster than it’s taken it on, he said.
And with the help of American Rescue Fund money, the city won’t have to take on new debt for several years, the mayor said.
In 2026, "our revenues are going to surpass the total amount of general fund debt we have in the city of Bethlehem,” Reynolds said. “I don’t believe there’s a government, a state, a federal government where you can see a chart that looks like that, because we are willing to make the responsible decisions in the long term by dealing with a little bit of pain in the short term.”
The mayor said the city would end up paying off more than $100 million in debt from 2015-26.
The coming Climate Challenge
City Councilwomen Hillary Kwiatek and Dr. Paige Van Wirt elaborated on the Bethlehem Climate Challenge to be launched in the coming months, as well as efforts completed in the meantime.
There’s been an urban forestry plan drafted. Internal groups are preparing to share the other incoming knowledge with all area residents and students.
“The city is continuing to invest in energy efficiency projects," Kwiatek said. "That includes finding new energy efficiencies in the buildings themselves.
“We’re continuing to purchase 100% renewable energy for all municipal operations. And we’re making progress toward zero waste in our festivals and events.”
“Our climate action plan and climate challenge works because it was created at a local level, by this city, by the people who live and work in this city. ... We will educate and work together to build equitable climate resilience.”Dr. Paige Van Wirt, council member
Van Wirt said, “our climate action plan and climate challenge works because it was created at a local level, by this city, by the people who live and work in this city.
"It reflects our industrial past and that legacy, as well as our evolving post-industrial economy.
“It comes out of a love for our land where the Monocacy meets the Lehigh, and now reaching along that ribbon of green to Easton and Allentown with a Green Ribbon Commission. We will educate and work together to build equitable climate resilience.”
