Candidates square off at Easton mayoral debate
Panto cites his record, Reilly says time for change
Easton’s longtime mayor, Democrat Sal Panto Jr. squared off against his first Republican challenger in eight years, firefighter and lifelong Easton resident Timothy D. Reilly.
The two answered questions about development, poverty and parking Monday as part of PBS39’s “Who Will Lead?” series. The debate was held at the ArtsQuest Center in South Bethlehem, where both men made their pitch to voters for their support on Nov. 5.
Reilly said he’s running because neighborhoods feel neglected and some people have misgivings about a politician running for their fifth term in office. Panto is running for his sixth term in office.
“Good governance seldom happens under one party totalitarian rule. It’s a time for change in Easton governance,” he said.
Reilly said that as mayor, he would try to be less involved than Panto. Reilly served on a commission to help create the city’s home rule charter, which outlined this concept, he said.
“The concept we were talking about was having a city administrator do most of the work in the city and have the mayor sit back, and for lack of a better word, be a cheerleader for the city,” he said.
Panto, who is serving his third consecutive term and served two terms from 1984 to 1992, cited his record of bringing the city back from the verge of bankruptcy, a reduction in crime, and new projects.
“We’ve increased revenue through economic growth and job creation, not raising your taxes and fee increases,” he said.
Panto has overseen significant growth in the city during recent years. Several major projects pending include a $16 million, 70-unit apartment complex proposed for the former Boyd Theater site on North Third Street and the redevelopment of the former Kaplan Awning building on Northampton Street into 31-luxury apartment units with a rooftop restaurant.
The city is also soliciting bids for the redevelopment of the former Days Inn property next to City Hall after plans for a second location of Da Vinci Science Center came to a halt earlier this year.
Reilly criticized the handling of that project — in which the city committed up to $30 million to the project under a “self-liquidating model,” where the city would take out a bond and pay it back with money generated from the facility — calling it a “boondoggle.”
“The city should never have gotten into purchasing the property for a private entity. It goes beyond the bounds of how I believe the government should act,” he said.
Panto pushed back against Reilly’s classification of the project, saying that whatever comes next — whether it’s housing or a mixed use project — it will generate taxes on a site that had been a problem property.
“I don’t think it was a boondoggle, it was an investment in the future,” he said.
The candidates also clashed over a question about how they could increase the tax base and avoid gentrification.
Panto said the issue is always on his mind and that he wants the city to be inclusive of all people, regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances.
“Cities are where the real vibrancy exists because people get along with one another,” he said.
He said he’s tried to bring in entities like Northampton Community College downtown to do programs by waiving rent in the former police station and Pine Street parking facility. He also helped bring in CareerLink, he said, to help people get jobs.
Reilly said gentrification isn’t a problem
“Neighborhoods go in cycles of decay and redevelopment, and this is the time for downtown to do that, and eventually the West Ward and other parts of the city,” he said. “When you bring people back, you bring business into the city.”
In addition to being a firefighter, Reilly is the commander of the Rice Ebner Post Association, a nonprofit social club that supports the American Legion; served on the Easton Area School Board for 12 years; served in the U.S. Army, including tours in Iraq, and was a member of the New Jersey National Guard for 15 years.
He at times spoke haltingly and drew the contrast between himself and Panto.
“Tonight you’ve seen the consummate politician use his polished oratory skills to impress you. Unfortunately, that was my opponent,” he said. “I’ll always be honest with you, I’ll always tell you like it is, we won’t engage in boondoggles or baitand-switch tactics as has been done in the past.”
Panto said his roots run deep in Easton.
“My reason for running is because Easton is on the right path and we have to continue that path for four more years,” he said.
The debate was sponsored by PBS and The Morning Call and moderated by PBS39 host Monica Evans, Christina Tatu of The Morning Call and Muhlenberg College political scientist Christopher Borick.
PBS39 will also broadcast an Allentown mayoral debate on Oct. 14.
Morning Call reporter Michelle Merlin can be reached at 610820-6533 or at mmerlin@ mcall.com.