EASTON, Pa. – The mayor’s race in Easton is shaping up for 2023, at least on the Democratic side of the ticket.
Incumbent Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said he plans to run again, and city council member Peter Melan threw his hat in the ring in December.
- Easton Councilman Peter Melan announced on Dec. 16 that he's running for mayor of Easton
- Melan has sat on council since 2016 and has served as vice mayor for two years
- Melan will go up against Democratic incumbent Mayor Sal Panto Jr., who is expected to announce his plans soon
Panto would be seeking his seventh term as mayor. He has been the mayor for four terms since taking office in 2008, and served two terms prior to that from 1984 through 1991.
Panto told LehighValleyNews.com he plans to make an official announcement in the new year. No Republican candidates have publicly announced plans yet to challenge for mayor in 2023.
Melan, who is entering the last year of his second term on city council, announced his mayoral bid in mid-December.
“I think this is a good time for me to run for mayor,” he said in an interview. “I think the national political scene is indicating that people want something other than an incumbent that’s been in for 24 years. I want to bring in some new ideas to the city and this is the time to do it.”
“I think the national political scene is indicating that people want something other than an incumbent that’s been in for 24 years."Peter Melan, Easton councilman and mayoral candidate
Melan has served two years as vice mayor and has sat on city council since 2016. Melan also sat on the police civil service commission and on the city’s zoning and hearing board.
Melan said he wants to address issues like neighborhood and city unity, governmental transparency and fixed term limits for public office-holding.
Issues
One concern in the city, Melan said, is that each neighborhood feels like its own separate entity.
“We don't have a unified city,” Melan said. “We have four sections of the city. We tend to concentrate more on Downtown and neighborhoods feel like they’re left out.”
Melan said that Downtown Easton is beautiful but it can feel like funding is focused on one section of the city. Other neighborhoods, Melan said, can feel like they’re distant cousins to the Downtown area and he wants the city to feel more like a family.
“I think I could create a sense of inclusiveness. I don’t want to exclude different parts of the city and have this feeling that you’re neglected,” Melan said.
Melan said council transparency is one of his priorities. For instance, he says there have been times when he’s had difficulty obtaining financial information.
He questioned the earned income tax revenue projections for the administration's budget for 2023, saying they appeared aggressive.
“When I do get it chances are … I question a lot of the data,” Melan said.
Melan also said he supports term limits for the mayor's office.
