Ginther seeks council seat

Tom Ginther is a candidate for Bethlehem City Council.

“Bethlehem has many issues confronting the City Council and the mayor and his administration,” he wrote in a release, “and needs big changes to bring our city back to a place where all residents are served by the city government. We must have a council and administration defining what is the city’s core mission. It’s most important to take care of Bethlehem’s basic ‘needs’ before we go spending money on all the ‘wants.’”

He says the city needs to focus more on fixing our roads, better coordination between water, sewer and street departments and public utilities, while ensuring public safety with our police, fire and emergency medical services, establish cost effective services to improve quality of life, for public safety, infrastructure, better parks and recreation services for everyone. The most important issue and should be the ultimate core mission: Affordable Housing For All, suggestions to consider: Affordable Housing Trusts, CDFI’s (community development financial institutions) have worked for economic, social and racial justices, City Health Housing Trusts funding programs all of these and more should be starters as well as special funding for foreclosed properties.

Ginther is a retired 40-plus years Bethlehem resident, having graduated from Hellertown-Lower Saucon HS, then on to graduate with a business degree. He has had a successful sales, marketing and consulting career which during this time has given him experience working with people and businesses.

“My strong negotiating skills will work well with a diversified government,” he says, “and I know how to listen and pay attention to details, including budget and operating costs.

The council can’t be “rubber stamping” the mayor’s administration plans and wishes without diversity of thought and accountability.

He says there is a great opportunity to improve Bethlehem by focusing on priorities that benefit all neighborhoods and people in the city.

“We need a council that is a voice of reason and effectively allocates city resources across all neighborhoods,” he says. “We can’t let the city become separated between ‘haves and have nots.’”

Bethlehem candidate forum OCT. 5

There will be a candidates forum Oct. 5, 6 p.m. at the Fowler Family Southside Center, Sixth floor, NCC; free and open to the public; hosted by the NAACP Bethlehem. Call 610-866-2078.