Allentown City Council Debate 10/2007

Election 2007
Scant sparring at City Council debate
All candidates call for better public safety but do differ on methods.
By Paul MuschickOf The Morning Call

October 24, 2007

There wasn’t much debate at Tuesday’s Allentown City Council debate, with all five candidates agreeing the city must hire more police officers and improve public safety.

The candidates did differ on how to do it and how to encourage economic development during the debate, held at the Allentown Brew Works on Hamilton Street.

Voters will choose three of the five candidates Nov. 6:

David Bausch, 75, a Republican. He is the lone incumbent and has been on council since 1996. He is a former Lehigh County executive and retired nursing home and hospital administrator.

William Michael Donovan, 54, a Democrat. He teaches business and economics at Cedar Crest College and is on the city’s pension board.

Jeanette Eichenwald, 63, a Democrat. She is schools program coordinator at Muhlenberg College and was a city school director for six years.

Peter Schweyer, 29, a Democrat. He is chief of staff for state Rep. Jennifer Mann, D-Lehigh, and is on the board of the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority.

Robert E. Smith Jr., 45, a Republican. He is a mentor at Mount Trexler Manor and a city school director.

Bausch, Donovan and Eichenwald said the city must reinstate community police officers who walk beats.

Donovan said the city must get tough with absentee landlords who provide homes for criminals, and could increase the number of homegrown officers by offering tutoring on the civil service exam.

Eichenwald said another way to recruit homegrown officers is to encourage students to pursue law enforcement careers and help them prepare academically.

Schweyer said the city could pay for more officers by taking the $4 million in gambling revenue it will receive when the Bethlehem slots casino opens and using it as matching funds for more state and federal grant money.

Smith said previous councils were to blame for the lack of officers because they failed to stop the controversial early retirements a few years ago.

He said the city should reinstate a curfew for teenagers and that violators who cannot pay their fines should do community service.

Schweyer and Donovan said the city should recruit more minority officers, with Schweyer saying the city should recruit at job fairs.

Bausch cautioned that hiring officers is not easy. He said they must be screened and trained, which helps protect the city from lawsuits.

”You can’t just take people off the street and put a badge on them,” Bausch said.

With the exception of Smith, the candidates said city officials were correct to refinance up to $35 million in bonds to eliminate a spike in upcoming debt payments the mayor has said could not be paid without raising taxes or laying off workers.

Smith said the city could have found the money by cutting costs instead.

The refinancing, if approved by the state, is expected to cost the city an additional $48 million in interest.

Regarding economic development, Schweyer said the city should continue pressing state and federal officials for grants. Smith said the city should work just as hard to retain current businesses as to attract new ones.

Donovan said the city should encourage its colleges and hospitals to get involved in scientific development. Eichenwald said a program in Rhode Island provides startup and expansion grants for small businesses. She said the city should target minority-owned businesses because they are growing fast.

Bausch said reducing crime and providing a quality public education will help foster economic development.

The lone round of sparring was between the two Republican candidates, Bausch and Smith.

Smith accused previous councils of not fighting for taxpayers and helping to improve the city.

”Part of your job is to speak out,” he said. ”We need leadership on City Council, not politicians.”

The debate was presented by the Allentown Chamber of Commerce, and about 35 people attended.

paul.muschick@mcall.com

610-820-6582

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