Northampton County Council, at its April 6 meeting, extended a LERTA tax break in Upper Mount Bethel Township.

The Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act, passed in 1977, provides tax exemptions for certain deteriorated commercial and business properties.

Numerous Upper Mount Bethel residents attended the meeting, urging council to reject the resolution. Opponents of the tax exemptions believe the LERTA resolution is inappropriate because the property in question is largely woodlands and not deteriorated.

Township resident Charles Cole said he felt approval of these tax exemptions would be a violation of the LERTA law.

Councilman John Cusick proposed an amendment to the LERTA resolution so it would only include the industrial areas, but nothing ever came of that.

Further, residents said a potential development on the property would bring truck traffic, increased pollution and other environmental issues to their rural township.

The increased truck traffic would wear down the township’s roads and could cause more accidents, they said. Opponents also said the development would decrease their quality of life and property values.

Supporters of the tax exemptions said it would incentivize manufacturing businesses to come to the township, as well as provide jobs and tax revenue in the long run.

Council voted 6-3 to extend the LERTA for five years, until Dec. 31, 2027. Councilmembers Tara Zrinski, Kevin Lott and Cusick opposed the extension.

Upper Mount Bethel Township and the Bangor Area School District have both already approved the tax break extension.

As of April 11, county Executive Lamont McClure formally issued a veto of council’s decision. Council will hold a vote at the next meeting to either overturn the veto or sustain it.