(46th in a series of posts on candidates for election)
Election Day is May 21
That’s one week from today!
If you need an absentee ballot, you still may be able to get one today. See links to both Northampton and Lehigh County voter registration at the bottom of the sidebar.
At the May 6 Bethlehem City Democratic Committee (BCDC) candidate forum each candidate was asked to respond to a specific question to which others could respond if they wanted.
Gadfly has already posted the audios of each candidate answering the question and the cluster of responses by other candidates.
BCDC also asked three questions to which each candidate was to give a brief response.
The first question was about neighborhoods:
“All of our candidates have expressed here thatneighborhood improvement is a high priority issue for them. What would you push for City Council’s primary focus to be?”
Candidates for the one 2yr. seat
Will Carpenter: “Let’s improve the walk- and bikeride ability in our town.”
Grace Cramspie Smith: “We have to really look at attacking opioid prices” and “We need stronger enforcement laws for landlords.”
Candidates for the three 4yr. seats
Michael Colon: “I think we need to maintain the level of services and keep trying to provide quality services for all those departments that are the first line of contact with the public.”
J. William Reynolds: “We need to build an initiative that brings together our churches, our schools, our Little Leagues, our community, and build sustainable neighborhoods. That’s how we do it. We turn it over to the neighbors.”
Carol Ritter: “I think the most important thing is that we are not saying here’s what we want you to do . . . what are your ideas, and how can we help you implement them?”
David Saltzer: “We can improve our neighborhoods without losing that city charm without losing that historic feel . . . Get involved in the block watches and let us know what you need.”
Paige Van Wirt: “I think our Zoning Hearing Board needs to be more responsive to the needs of the citizens of Bethlehem and not the developers of Bethlehem . . . We need more code enforcement officers . . . We need to focus on making sure our sidewalks are walkable . . . We need to focus on affordable housing . . . We need to focus on changing our Zoning Code in piloted areas.”
Gadfly will post responses to BCDC’s other two questions in following days.
Vote and vote informed!