At its Feb. 1 meeting, Northampton County Council voted 5-3 to pass the responsibility of choosing the ninth council member onto the county court.

Following 10 rounds of failed voting at the Jan. 18 meeting, council voted only twice to try and fill the position.

The first vote ended in a tie between Kerry Myers, former council president, and Paul Anthony, chairman of the general purpose authority, while the second left Anthony and Peter Melan, former Easton councilman, with four votes.

Council Vice President Ron Heckman said he prefers council handling the appointment of a new member, but for the first time felt “council was at an impasse.”

In other business, council voted against rescinding the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance. Three members voted to rescind the tax breaks, while five voted to keep them.

County Executive Lamont McClure addressed council members Jan. 4, urging members to rescind Ordinance 744, which provided tax breaks for deteriorated properties in Upper Mount Bethel Township. The land, currently owned by Lou Pektor, is home to the future River Pointe Commerce Park property. The property first received LERTA status in 2018, and the tax breaks were renewed by council in 2023. Ordinance 744 was vetoed by McClure and then overturned by council.

McClure hoped to replace the ordinance with one that would award LERTA status for manufacturing sites but not warehouses.

County council was expected to meet 6:30 p.m. March 7 at the county building, 669 Washington St., Easton.