EASTON, Pa. — Northampton County Council on Thursday bid a fond farewell to four of its members, including Kerry Myers, the government body’s first Black president.
Myers, in addition to District 1 Councilman Kevin Lott, District 3 Councilman John Cusick, and at-large Councilwoman Tara Zrinski, served their last council session on Dec. 14, with their fellow government servants commending their work and wishing them the best in future endeavors.
Each council member expressed his or her gratitude to the voters who put them in their positions, as well as their colleagues — who might not have always agreed on certain matters but still worked closely together.
“And we’ll probably be friends for the rest of our lives because of some of the things we went through, from the pandemic that we got when we came on, and all that we did to save people's jobs and businesses, and all we did for community through budgetary issues."Northampton County Council President Kerry Myers
Myers in particular said he was humbled by the praise he received from his fellow council members, reflecting on this past as a “kid who grew up in South Side Easton, with no college education, [who went on to] street life and then the United States Navy, which corrected that and made me the man I am today.”
But perhaps the most touching part of the meeting came when Myers reflected on the impact his brother, John Robert "Robin" Myers III, who passed away just last month, had on his life.
“The person behind me is no longer around, but his impact on my life has gotten me where I am today. I thank all of you,” Myers said before quickly, and personally, thanking his fellow workers before leaping into the meeting, noting he had a basketball game to coach that evening.
Cusick, who served 16 years on council, expressed his gratitude to council as well, jokingly acknowledging the times he “heckled and badgered” county employees for information he needed to make his decisions.
“I think my best experience was being a member of the Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania Executive Board where I got to work with county commissioners from across the state on issues that affected people of all types," Cusick said.
"It was a wonderful experience, and one that I would have never had had I not been a member of this body.”
He said he wished the new members who were coming on board would “put in the time and the effort and be independent thinkers.”
Reflecting on his five years of service, Lott said he was proud to work in council during some of the most trying times in recent history — that being the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, which tested the limits of local businesses and pushed the government to provide real help to those in need.
“I truly believe our council, along with the administration, saved a lot of small businesses," Lott said.
"We had a lot of very difficult choices to make at that time. I think we had good input from our council as to how we would distribute the ARPA money and other money that came in through the pandemic.
“It was challenging, but things that are challenging tend to be the most rewarding. So even though it wasn't a bright spot, it was very rewarding, getting through that and working through that.”
Lott also said he was proud to be part of the government that got the new county forensic center up and running, in addition to saying he was honored “to work for the employees of this county and for the citizens.”
Zrinski, who has served on council since 2018, was unable to attend the meeting in person, but thanked Myers, Cusick, and Loft via phone call, noting “it has been an honor to serve with everybody.”
“This has been one of the greatest achievements I feel in my life," said Zrinski, who will begin as county controller in a few weeks after winning election over Cusick in November.
"Being able to serve in the position of county commissioner with all of you, I'm very grateful for this opportunity, and the opportunity that I have moving forward.
"So thank you, everybody, again, and also, good luck to all the outgoing members, and best wishes with whatever you're going to pursue later. Thank you.”
Myers, a lifelong Democrat who switched parties after he was informed in January that he would face a Democratic challenger in the primary, had been removed from the ballot after facing allegations that more than a third of the signatures he procured were from people not registered to vote.
Despite any notions of impropriety, the council was grateful for Myers and the time he spent there.
“Serving with this particular group was the highlight of what I’ve done here,” Myers said. He said that while “we might not always get along, and it might get a little heated, at the end of the day, I can honestly say we walked out as friends.”
“And we’ll probably be friends for the rest of our lives because of some of the things we went through, from the pandemic that we got when we came on, and all that we did to save people's jobs and businesses, and all we did for the community through budgetary issues. Some things are not too pretty.
"And one thing was very interesting, you know, when we came on board, there was a lot of protests in Northampton County, but we kept our head above the fray, and we kept chugging away,” Myers said before heading out to his basketball game, chatting happily with his friends and former coworkers.
