Recent programs and strategies have strengthened quality of life in Northampton County, solidifying it as a safe, entertaining, and welcoming place to live and work, and as a stable and supportive location for business, County Executive Lamont McClure said in his annual State of the County Address. 

He said county government has prioritized public health and safety, balanced growth with land preservation, and spent tax dollars wisely.

“I am a person who thinks that government has the power to transform people's lives in positive ways,” McClure told an audience of about 170 at Hotel Bethlehem on April 16.

Northampton County, and neighboring Lehigh County, is among the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania. It ranks in the top 5% of all U.S. counties for the number of people who have moved there from elsewhere in the nation since 2020. And it is in the Top 100 counties nationwide for the growth of people ages 18-34, a desired demographic for employers.

The State of the County address is hosted annually by Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC). McClure is a member of LVEDC’s Board of Directors.

Workforce Board Lehigh Valley was Presenting Sponsor of the event. Gold Sponsors were BSI Corporate Benefits and Lehigh Valley International Airport. Penn Community Bank was an Event Sponsor.

During his hourlong address, McClure detailed how the county has prioritized public safety and health, protected the environment, and supported businesses through strategies and programs including:

• Saving taxpayers $36 million through a real estate tax cut in 2022.
• Reducing the size of county government by 31% without reducing services.
• Improving public health through programs that address lead poisoning, mental health, safe disposal of narcotics, fentanyl awareness, and suicide prevention.
• Investing in affordable housing in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity and with more than $6 million in forgivable loans to first-time homebuyers.
• Providing $25 million in direct support to small businesses during the pandemic. “We helped those small businesses survive, and today, many of them are thriving,” McClure said.
• Preserving 622 acres of environmentally sensitive land and expanding the county’s parks and trails system.
• Establishing programs that reduced recidivism at the county jail, saving taxpayers money and positioning people to join the workforce.

McClure reflected on his tenure with the county – he is in his eighth and final year as Executive, preceded by eight years on County Council. He is not seeking election to a third term as Executive.

McClure said his parents inspired his calling for public service and serving the county “has been the honor of my life.”

“I hope I left it a little better than when I found it,” he said. 

(Top photo courtesy of Northampton County)