ALLENTOWN, Pa. - During his State of the City address, Mayor Matt Tuerk gave an update on the city's 10-year plan that was outlined in 2019 and focuses on community and economic development.
"During the process of preparing that plan, we heard from residents that affordable housing is a major concern," Tuerk said.
Tuerk says he encountered seven main issues raised by residents while he was campaigning over the past year and prepared to take office, including housing, store front vacancies, and the school district and public safety.
"We have a commitment to addressing these issues through principally education, but also intelligence gathering and enforcement," Tuerk said.
The pandemic has hit the city hard and Allentown officials are working on a neighborhood engagement strategy to increase economic development efforts. While the mayor says he's optimistic about the city's future, he says business licenses in the city are down year after year.
Tuerk says employment is better in Allentown than it's been in past years and people are earning a better wage. He also notes the city has only raised property taxes twice in the last 20 years. In 2022 he says the city is likely to have more of its annual budget funded by income tax than by property taxes.
We reached out to the mayor's office to see if he plans on proposing a property tax rate increase and have not yet heard back.
