Bethlehem Councilman J. William Reynolds announces run for mayor
Bethlehem City Councilman J. William Reynolds has launched a bid to become the city’s next mayor.
The 39-year-old Democrat, announced his campaign Wednesday afternoon in a virtual news conference streamed on his Facebook page.
“Bethlehem has always been a wonderful place to live, but it is time for us to become something more. We need a clear vision for the future of our city that builds on our strengths and re-imagines what our community can be,” Reynolds said.
A member of City Council since 2008, Reynolds has worked to create Bethlehem’s climate action plan and “North
Side 2027,” a revitalization strategy for the North Side neighborhood involving citizens, small businesses, the Bethlehem Area School District and Moravian College.
Reynolds says he also has supported efforts to improve transparency in government and access to public data, as well as economic development and job creating initiatives.
During a question and answer session on his Facebook page, Reynolds talked about some of his goals, which include getting more people into the downtown, overseeing redevelopment of the Walnut Street Parking
Garage and encouraging a more diverse City Council and committees.
A lifelong resident of the city, Reynolds graduated from Liberty High School and Moravian College. He is a history and government teacher at Allen High School in Allentown.
Reynolds ran for mayor in 2013, when Mayor Robert
Donchez was elected to the position.
Donchez cannot run for reelection because of the city’s two-term limit. Reynolds is the only candidate so far to announce a run for mayor.