Allentown City Council Meeting Summary - December 17, 2025

The Allentown City Council convened on December 17, 2025, to review contracts, approve the 2026 budget ordinances with significant amendments, and address public safety funding. The meeting included the passage of multiple budget funds, a contentious vote on the General Fund budget featuring a no-tax-increase proposal, and a unanimous transfer to cover rising health care claims. The session concluded with tributes to two retiring council members, Mr. Zuko and Mr. Hendricks, as the body prepared for an organizational meeting in January 2026.

Consent Calendar

• Contract R 194: Authorized a contract with Barry Isett and Associates for $49,920 to provide consulting and engineering services for the MLK Trail Phase 3 feasibility study. Councilor Zuko noted a family member's employment with the firm but proceeded after clarifying this contract covers a different trail section than previously approved.
• Contract R 195: Authorized a cooperative contract with Multi-PRO for $11,875 to purchase a sprayer for the golf course.
• Minutes Approved: Minutes from November 19, 2025, and December 3, 2025, were unanimously approved.
• Correction: Council noted and corrected an error in a previous resolution regarding a fire overtime transfer, changing the destination account from "premium pay for EMS" to the "fire premium pay" account.
• Building Permits: Consented to work permits for the Police Department at 425 Hamilton Street (sewage planning module) and 231 North Fulton Street.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No formal public comments were recorded during the meeting; attendees noted none when the floor was opened for comments on multiple agenda items.
• Note on Bill 84: A member of the public or council raised a request for a minor title change during the discussion of Bill 84 regarding the budget, which was subsequently motioned and seconded by the council.

Discussion Items

• Budget Amendments (Bill 84): Council debated and approved several amendments to the 2026 General Fund budget. Key points of discussion included:
  • A motion to change the title of a budget position from "Legislative and Community Engagement Specialists" to "Public Affairs and Policy Officer."
  • Confirmation that the budget contains a no-tax-increase provision, transferring $1.5 million from the closing fund to offset a reduction in the tax rate.
  • Approval of $100,000 for the Health Department to serve the unhoused population.
  • Personnel changes in the Solicitor's Office and CD Department, including the creation of a Deputy Director and renaming a Senior HR Generalist position.
  • Councilor Zuko expressed concern regarding the scale of unanticipated health care costs, questioning if the city was under-budgeted. The administration clarified that higher claims were due to unpredictable high-cost claims, including costs associated with GLP1 drugs (weight loss/diabetes treatments) covered for all employees, which sometimes range between $10,000 and $20,000 per dose, though specific data was withheld due to HIPAA regulations.
• Health Care Claim Transfer (Bill 101): Council discussed and approved a transfer of $2,500,000 from the General Fund unappropriated balance to the Risk Fund to cover significantly higher-than-expected health care claims and prescription drug benefits. Councilor Zuko questioned the budgeting accuracy given a previous $9.5 million transfer for similar reasons, while the administration explained this transfer utilizes actual cash rather than budgeted funds to address the surplus of cash in the general fund unappropriated balance resulting in a vote of 7-0.
• Retiring Council Members: The administration and fellow councilors expressed gratitude to Councilors Zuko and Hendricks for their long-term service, describing them as dedicated public servants and former police officers. Tributes highlighted their years of service, their ability to find common ground despite disagreements, and their contributions to the city prior to and during their time on the council.

Key Outcomes

• Bill 84 (General Fund & Other Budgets): Passed by a vote of 4-3 (in favor) as amended. Nays votes came from Mr. Napoli, Mr. Zuko (initially, then recused or changed context? Transcript says "Mr. Zuko? Yes... Mr. Hendricks, no. Ms. Affa. No..." Wait, let's re-read the vote tally text carefully: "Mr. Zuko. Yes, Mr. Hendricks, no. Ms. Affa. No. Mr. Napoli. No. President. Yes... It's four to three." This implies Mr. Hendricks, Ms. Affa, and Mr. Napoli voted No, while the rest voted Yes.)
• Bill 85 (Building Code Fund): Passed 7-0.
• Bill 86 (Liquid Fuels Fund): Passed 7-0.
• Bill 87 (Rental Unit Licensing Fund): Passed 7-0.
• Bill 88 (Solid Waste Fund): Passed 7-0; amended to increase the solid waste fee to $7.40.
• Bill 89 (Stormwater Fund): Passed 7-0; maintained the stormwater utility fee at $20 per 500 square feet.
• Bill 90 (Trust of Fund): Passed 7-0.
• Bill 97 (Property Rehab): Passed 7-0; established a commercial inspections program.
• Bill 98 (General Fund Supplemental): Passed 7-0; provided $1,000,000 from the DCD local share account grant to the Bombay School of Art.
• Bill 99 (Capital Fund Supplemental): Passed 7-0; appropriated $3,125,825.97 from aqueous film-forming foams class action awards to offset PFAS remediation costs.
• Bill 100 (General Fund Transfer): Passed 7-0; transferred $25,000 to the Y for the early warming shelter opening.
• Bill 101 (Risk Fund Transfer): Passed 7-0; transferred $2,500,000 from the General Fund to the Risk Fund for health care claims and negotiated a waiver of the 14-day waiting period for the Mayor's signature.
• Resolution 198: Passed 7-0; approved a $140,000 transfer for salt and $22,358.75 for actuarial services by Chiron.
• Next Steps: The City Council will hold an organizational meeting on January 5, 2026, to swear in newly elected council persons and elect council leadership.