Incoming Bethlehem City Council members will get a raise; officials say they’ll revisit upping mayor, controller pay

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — After taking their newly or re-elected seats on Bethlehem City Council in 2026, four of the panel’s seven members will start off at a higher salary than their three counterparts.

The others will have to wait two years to see the pay increase.

On Tuesday, council voted in favor of raising the next council president’s salary from $7,600 to $11,400 a year and council members’ annual pay from $7,100 to $10,650.

However, City Council decided against respective salary increases of $90,500 to $98,000 and $49,000 to $56,000 for the next mayor and city controller.

'A calling, an honor and a privilege'

City solicitor John Spirk Jr. spoke on behalf of Mayor J. William Reynolds — who was absent because of another commitment — saying the current city executive “had no change in his intentions” to veto any upping of the next mayor’s salary.

In the race for mayor, Reynolds will face current city Councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith in the Democratic primary on May 20.

Current city Controller George Yasso, a Democrat, said he’s running unopposed for what will be his third and self-imposed final term as Bethlehem’s financial watchdog.

Yasso was appointed to the interim controller role in 2015 to fill a vacancy after the death of former controller David DiGiacinto. Yasso has served two full terms since then.

He spoke for more than 15 minutes about his role — “a calling, an honor and a privilege, and not a career or an obligation” — and how not speaking out against the salary increase would affect his credibility among constituents.

“The opportunity that you guys will give me by a ‘no’ vote tonight will allow me to finish my service, I think, without any regrets," Yasso told council.

"And I think avoid a more divisive conclusion with a mayor’s veto, again, because I know the spirit behind this was the right one.”

The vote tallies

The incoming election cycle opens four seats on council currently held by councilwomen Crampsie Smith, Kiera Wilhelm, Rachel Leon and Hillary Kwiatek.

Wilhelm, who brought forward the discussion of potential raises for elected officials, will not be running for re-election.

Leon and Kwiatek have announced campaigns to keep their current seats.

Here’s a breakdown of Tuesday’s three votes:

Council salary (passed 4-3): Kwiatek, Laird, Wilhelm and Colón, aye; Crampsie Smith, Bryan Callahan and Leon, nay.

Controller salary (failed 5-2): Crampsie Smith, Laird, Leon and Callahan, and Council President Michael Colón, nay; Kwiatek and Wilhelm, aye.

Mayor salary (failed 4-3): Crampsie Smith, Callahan, Laird and Colón, nay; Kwiatek, Wilhelm and Leon, aye.

Compared with the votes at the bill’s first reading on March 4, Tuesday’s council salary tally remained the same at 4-3.

The controller's raise went from passing with six ayes to failing with five nays. Increasing the mayor’s pay went from passing with five ayes to failing with four nays.

Leon said the other two salaries needed to be addressed at some point, as all three in question have remained stagnant for more than 12 years.

“I fully intend to bring those two back to the table early in the new year,” Laird said.

'The right thing to do'

Wilhelm said, “I just feel strongly, as uncomfortable as it is, that this is the right thing to do. I respect how the vote turns out — it’s not going to benefit me either way.

“But I just, because of the strange-optic nature of it, I just want people to understand that the insinuation that we are lining our own pockets is not only antithetical to the intent and spirit of it, it is factually incorrect.”

The raises are a long time coming and would help the city avoid pay compression, Kwiatek said.

Leon said she was “most passionate” about increasing the controller’s salary out of the few, but some movement forward now may help future councils anyway.

“I think maybe a vote here is more about the next council historically looking back and saying that there was at least an appetite for this,” she said.

Councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith said to Yasso, “You are more than deserving to have an increase, but I will respect your wishes and vote against it.”

Before the vote on a salary increase for the future mayor, Colón said, “Should it not pass now, I would hope the future councils, whoever is on there, would consider this because I do think it is time for that.

“But I also understand we’re up against certain timelines and procedural obstacles — that even if it’s the will of council, there are the rights of the executive branch of the city.”