Local Government in the Lehigh Valley: Data Centers, Housing, Warehouses, and Taxes

GET MORE AT LVWITHLOVE.COM

Data centers, warehouses, property taxes and housing costs are all part of the conversation when Ron Beitler, an independent Lehigh County commissioner representing District 2, and Frank Pintabone, Easton’s vice mayor, join Off the Record with Lehigh Valley with Love.

Hosts George Wacker and Jeff Warren, Northampton County Council vice president and host of The Philadelphia Sports Table podcast, ask what first drew the guests into local government and what keeps them involved.

Warehouses and the decision to run

A warehouse proposal on farmland in Lower Macungie Township brought Beitler into local politics. He had grown up in the community and wanted a voice in how it developed. He learned that agricultural zoning and permanent farmland preservation offered different protections, then went on to serve as a township commissioner before joining the county board.

Pintabone was concerned about teacher layoffs, school finances and threatened cuts to music and sports in the Easton Area School District. After he complained on Facebook, somebody challenged him to run for school board. He took office thinking he could fix things quickly.

“I was wrong. Boy, was I wrong.”

He eventually became school board president. After leaving in 2017, concerns about Easton’s neighborhoods keeping pace with downtown helped persuade him to seek a seat on city council.

From Democrat to Republican to independent

Beitler once led his college Democrats chapter. He registered as a Republican after returning home and starting a small business, describing his views as fiscally conservative and more liberal on social issues.

Now an independent, he is concerned about the expansion of executive power under presidents from both parties and the erosion of checks and balances. He says his approach to public service has remained consistent through those changes in affiliation.

County property taxes and essential services

Beitler has to weigh property taxes against the cost of county services, including jails, health and human services and public nursing homes. Both Lehigh and Northampton counties operate nursing homes, and he describes caring for their residents as a moral and ethical responsibility.

The proposed 2027 county tax increases were still under review when the interview was recorded. Beitler said commissioners were scrutinizing new spending and looking for ways to limit an increase while keeping services funded.

Housing and neighborhood life in Easton

Pintabone wants to help residents who earn too much to qualify for assistance but struggle to afford market-rate rents. He calls them the “forgotten middle,” including teachers starting their careers, police officers and city employees.

His workforce housing approach ties requirements to qualifying developments receiving public subsidies or tax incentives. He also wanted income calculations based on Easton itself so the program would reflect city residents’ earnings.

A fourth-generation South Side resident, Pintabone has seen neighbors respond when families need help. After fires displaced residents, he requested gift card donations on social media. So many arrived that City Hall called asking him to collect them because there was no more room.

Data centers and local rules

Pintabone and Beitler support giving municipalities more time to study data center proposals, including water use, electricity demand and where facilities should be built.

Beitler backed moratorium proposals from state Senators Jarrett Coleman and Katie Muth. He wants communities to be able to update their rules before applications move ahead under older requirements.

Residents interested in public service can also contribute through parks boards, planning commissions and other local bodies. Beitler encourages people to use those opportunities to work on issues they care about and learn how local decisions get made.

---

Email news releases and story ideas to info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com