Salvatore J. Panto Jr.: Difference between revisions

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”’Salvatore J. Panto Jr.”’ is an American politician from [[Pennsylvania]] who is the current [[mayor]] of [[Easton, Pennsylvania]], and has served for seven non-consecutive terms. He first served for two terms from 1984–1992 and has continuously been in office again since 2008.<ref name=”mayorwebsite”>{{cite web |title=Mayor Salvatore J. Panto, Jr. |url=https://www.easton-pa.com/mayor-salvatore-j-panto-jr |website=www.easton-pa.com |publisher=[[Easton, Pennsylvania]] |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref><ref name=”contactinfo”>{{cite web |title=Salvatore J. Panto, Jr. |url=https://www.easton-pa.com/people/salvatore-j-panto-jr |website=www.easton-pa.com |publisher=[[Easton, Pennsylvania]] |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref>

”’Salvatore J. Panto Jr.”’ is an American politician from [[Pennsylvania]] who is the current [[mayor]] of [[Easton, Pennsylvania]], and has served for seven non-consecutive terms. He first served for two terms from 19841992 and has continuously been in office again since 2008.<ref name=”mayorwebsite”>{{cite web |title=Mayor Salvatore J. Panto, Jr. |url=https://www.easton-pa.com/mayor-salvatore-j-panto-jr |website=www.easton-pa.com |publisher=[[Easton, Pennsylvania]] |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref><ref name=”contactinfo”>{{cite web |title=Salvatore J. Panto, Jr. |url=https://www.easton-pa.com/people/salvatore-j-panto-jr |website=www.easton-pa.com |publisher=[[Easton, Pennsylvania]] |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref>

==Early life==

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===Second tenure===

When he returned to the office of mayor in 2008 the city of Easton was on the verge of filing for [[Financially Distressed Municipalities Act|Act 47]], the municipal equivalent of bankruptcy. However, Panto was able to re-organize city finances to create a surplus budget every year during his second tenure without increasing the real estate tax for sixteen years.<ref name=”mayorwebsite” /> His 2007 campaign theme was “Clean and Safe. In 2007 he ran on a campaign to end the rampant drug dealing and gang violence and gun violence plaguing the city. “An advocate for public parks, Panto has expanded the city’s park network and also invested $4 million in the city’s waterfront parks. In 2017 he received a $850,000 subsidy from the [[Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]] to improve the [[National Canal Museum]] and the 520 acre park next to it.<ref name=”parks”>{{cite web |last1=Mabaso |first1=Alaina |title=Meet Urban Parks Champion, Easton Mayor Sal Panto |url=https://goodforpa.com/meet-urban-parks-champion-easton-mayor-sal-panto/ |website=goodforpa.com |publisher=Pennsylvania parks and recreation |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref>

When he returned to the office of mayor in 2008 the city of Easton was on the verge of filing for [[Financially Distressed Municipalities Act|Act 47]], the municipal equivalent of bankruptcy. However, Panto was able to re-organize city finances to create a surplus budget every year during his second tenure without increasing the real estate tax for sixteen years.<ref name=”mayorwebsite” /> His 2007 campaign theme was “Clean and Safe. In 2007 he ran on a campaign to end the rampant drug dealing and gang violence and gun violence plaguing the city. “An advocate for public parks, Panto has expanded the city’s park network and also invested $4 million in the city’s waterfront parks. In 2017 he received $850,000 subsidy from the [[Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]] to improve the [[National Canal Museum]] and the 520 acre park next to it.<ref name=”parks”>{{cite web |last1=Mabaso |first1=Alaina |title=Meet Urban Parks Champion, Easton Mayor Sal Panto |url=https://goodforpa.com/meet-urban-parks-champion-easton-mayor-sal-panto/ |website=goodforpa.com |publisher=Pennsylvania parks and recreation |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref>

Panto was twice elected the President of the [[Pennsylvania Municipal League]] and during his tenure he founded the PennPRIME Municipal Insurance Trust and served as the fist Chairman of the Board. He is the former Chairman of the National League of Cities (NLC) Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee and was elected to two terms on the NLC Board of Directors. He currently serves on the NLC Advisory Board.

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Panto has also been lauded for his management of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]] during which he shut down city hall, furloughed 81 city employees and had all municipal duties performed over video call.<ref name=”mcall”>{{cite web |last1=Panto |first1=Salvatore J. |title=Your View by Easton’s mayor: City rises to meet pandemic’s challenges. To assist the restaurants in the city he founded a program he called “Easton Alfresco” which provided the closed restaurants with outdoor dining. The program continues today as well. To assist small retailers he founded the “Winter Village” modeled after the Christmas Villages throughout Europe. It too continues today and has attracted shoppers from near and far. |url=https://www.mcall.com/opinion/mc-opi-year-review-year-coming-panto-20211230-nqinoaf5gzfsngx7yfvnqjtlp4-story.html |website=[[The Morning Call|www.mcall.com]] |date=30 December 2021 |publisher=[[Alden Global Capital]] |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref><ref name=”covid19nocityhall”>{{cite web |title=Easton City Hall closed to the public as part of COVID-19 workplace measures |url=https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/easton-city-hall-closed-to-the-public-as-part-of-covid-19-workplace-measures/article_ba927b58-7a0d-11ec-9d47-136bfc5acb28.html |website=[[WFMZ-TV|www.wfmz.com]] |date=20 January 2022 |publisher=Maranatha Broadcasting Company |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref> This online municipal government system, combined with a $6,000,000 shortfall in the city’s budget due to a near total loss of the city’s tourism revenue for the [[Wind Creek Bethlehem|nearby casino]] and the [[Crayola#Crayola Experience|Crayola Experience]].<ref name=”USAtoday”>{{cite web |last1=Groppe |first1=Maureen |title=Despite federal COVID aid, some cities face hurdles bringing workers back after budget cuts |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/10/03/despite-federal-aid-some-cities-face-hurdles-bringing-workers-back/5850576001/?gnt-cfr=1 |website=[[USA Today|www.usatoday.com]]|access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref> Panto was able to salvage the situation by slashing the city’s taxes resulting in a large influx of [[Demographics of New York (state)|New Yorkers]] moving to the city to avoid [[New York City]]’s cost of living and earning the city the moniker “little Manhattan.”<ref name=”nytimes”>{{cite web |last1=Caldwell |first1=Dave |title=Easton, Pa.: A Gritty River Town Being Transformed |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/08/realestate/easton-pa-a-gritty-river-town-being-transformed.html |website=[[The New York Times|www.nytimes.com]] |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref>

On May 16, 2023, Panto defeated Melan, a member of City Council, capturing 70% of the votes in the Democratic primary, and with the Republicans not being competitive in Mayoral elections since 2007, this was largely treated as the election proper. Panto has no Republican challenger on November 5, 2024. This next term will mark his 7th term as Mayor, and 5th consecutive term, making him the longest tenured mayor in Easton’s history. However, he vowed this 7th term would be his last, and that he would not seek re-election to an 8th term in 2028, which would make him Mayor for 28 years, 20 of which consecutively.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Myszkowski |first1=Brian |title=Panto takes mayoral race for 5th term in a row, 7th overall |url=https://www.lehighvalleynews.com/easton/panto-takes-mayoral-race-for-fifth-term-in-a-row-seventh-overall |website=[[Lehigh Valley News]]|date=17 May 2023 |access-date=22 June 2023}}</ref> On April 1, Panto partnered with [[Lafayette College]] during Literacy Day, reading to a elementary school class in an effort to increase children’s interest in books.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Huth |first1=Kelly |title=Lafayette’s America Reads team organizes Literacy Day |url=https://news.lafayette.edu/2023/04/05/lafayettes-america-reads-team-organizes-literacy-day/ |website=[[Lafayette College]] |date=5 April 2023 |access-date=22 June 2023}}</ref> He is also one of 6 Pennsylvania mayors to attend the 91st meeting of the [[United States Conference of Mayors]].<ref>{{cite web |title=91st Winter Meeting Registered Mayors |url=https://www.usmayors.org/meetings/91st-winter-meeting-attending-mayors/ |website=[[United States Conference of Mayors]] |access-date=22 June 2023}}</ref>

On May 16, 2023, Panto defeated Melan, a member of City Council, capturing 70% of the votes in the Democratic primary, and with the Republicans not being competitive in Mayoral elections since 2007, this was largely treated as the election proper. Panto has no Republican challenger on November 5, 2024. This next term will mark his 7th term as Mayor, and 5th consecutive term, making him the longest tenured mayor in Easton’s history. However, he vowed this 7th term would be his last, and that he would not seek re-election to an 8th term in 2028, which would make him Mayor for 28 years, 20 of which consecutively.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Myszkowski |first1=Brian |title=Panto takes mayoral race for 5th term in a row, 7th overall |url=https://www.lehighvalleynews.com/easton/panto-takes-mayoral-race-for-fifth-term-in-a-row-seventh-overall |website=[[Lehigh Valley News]]|date=17 May 2023 |access-date=22 June 2023}}</ref> On April 1, Panto partnered with [[Lafayette College]] during Literacy Day, reading to elementary school class in an effort to increase children’s interest in books.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Huth |first1=Kelly |title=Lafayette’s America Reads team organizes Literacy Day |url=https://news.lafayette.edu/2023/04/05/lafayettes-america-reads-team-organizes-literacy-day/ |website=[[Lafayette College]] |date=5 April 2023 |access-date=22 June 2023}}</ref> He is also one of 6 Pennsylvania mayors to attend the 91st meeting of the [[United States Conference of Mayors]].<ref>{{cite web |title=91st Winter Meeting Registered Mayors |url=https://www.usmayors.org/meetings/91st-winter-meeting-attending-mayors/ |website=[[United States Conference of Mayors]] |access-date=22 June 2023}}</ref>

Panto has received many awards including the Preservation Pennsylvania Municipal Official’s Award and the Governor’s Local Government Official of the Year Award and was also awarded the Easton Schoolman of the Year Award and many others.{{cn|date=April 2024}}

Panto received his ~~Bachelors~~ ~~Degree~~ form Kutztown University and his ~~Masters~~ ~~Degree~~ from Lehigh University and has an Honorary Doctorate from Lafayette College.{{cn|date=April 2024}}

Panto received his form Kutztown University and his from Lehigh University and has an Honorary Doctorate from Lafayette College.{{|date=April 2024}}

==Electoral history==

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|votes = 2,982

|percentage = 95.67%

}}

{{Election box candidate no change

|party = [[N/A]]

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|votes = 135

|percentage = 4.33%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 3,117

|percentage = 100%

}}

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|votes = 1,631

|percentage = 69.85%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

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| votes = 2335

|percentage = 100%

}}

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|votes = 2,839

|percentage = 81.53%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

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|votes = 628

|percentage = 18.04%

}}

{{Election box candidate no change

|party = [[N/A]]

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| votes = 3,482

|percentage = 100.0%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no change

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

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|votes = 1,282

|percentage = 75.86%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

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| votes = 1,690

|percentage = 100.0%

}}

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|votes = 1,807

|percentage = 98.64%

}}

{{Election box candidate no change

|party = [[N/A]]

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| votes = 1,832

|percentage = 100.0%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no change

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

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|votes = 1,047

|percentage = 99.71%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

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| votes = 1,050

|percentage = 100.0%

}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = [[2011 Easton mayoral election]]<ref name=”2011results”>{{cite web |title=General election 2011 results for Lehigh Valley and Northwest New Jersey races |url=https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/elections/2011/11/general_election_2011_results.html |website=[[The Express-Times|www.lehighvalleylive.com]] |date=9 November 2011 ~~|publisher=[[Advance Publications]]~~ |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref>

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

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|votes = 2,513

|percentage = 80.54%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

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| votes = 3,120

|percentage = 100.0%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no change

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

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|votes = 2,370

|percentage = 64.88%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

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| votes = 3,653

|percentage = 100%

}}

{{Election box gain with party link no swing

| loser = Republican Party (United States)

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|votes = 914

|percentage = 60.13%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

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| votes = 1,520

|percentage = 100%

}}

American politician

Salvatore J. Panto Jr. is an American politician from Pennsylvania who is the current mayor of Easton, Pennsylvania, and has served for seven non-consecutive terms. He first served for two terms from 1984 to 1992 and has continuously been in office again since 2008.^[1]^[2]

Panto is an Easton native. He received a Bachelor’s degree from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s degree from Lehigh University. In 2011 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Public service from Lafayette College.^[3]

Panto was elected mayor at the age of 31 in 1983 making him the youngest mayor in Easton’s history. In that Democratic Primary Election he came in first against three other candidates including a former two term Mayor and the Democratic Party’s designated candidate. During his first tenure he focused on making the city cleaner and safer. He expanded the city’s police and fire department and hired more code enforcement officers.^[1]^[3]

When he returned to the office of mayor in 2008 the city of Easton was on the verge of filing for Act 47, the municipal equivalent of bankruptcy. However, Panto was able to re-organize city finances to create a surplus budget every year during his second tenure without increasing the real estate tax for sixteen years.^[1] His 2007 campaign theme was “Clean and Safe. In 2007 he ran on a campaign to end the rampant drug dealing and gang violence and gun violence plaguing the city. “An advocate for public parks, Panto has expanded the city’s park network and also invested $4 million in the city’s waterfront parks. In 2017 he received an $850,000 subsidy from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to improve the National Canal Museum and the 520 acre park next to it.^[4]

Panto was twice elected the President of the Pennsylvania Municipal League and during his tenure he founded the PennPRIME Municipal Insurance Trust and served as the fist Chairman of the Board. He is the former Chairman of the National League of Cities (NLC) Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee and was elected to two terms on the NLC Board of Directors. He currently serves on the NLC Advisory Board.

Panto has also been lauded for his management of the COVID-19 pandemic during which he shut down city hall, furloughed 81 city employees and had all municipal duties performed over video call.^[5]^[6] This online municipal government system, combined with a $6,000,000 shortfall in the city’s budget due to a near total loss of the city’s tourism revenue for the nearby casino and the Crayola Experience.^[7] Panto was able to salvage the situation by slashing the city’s taxes resulting in a large influx of New Yorkers moving to the city to avoid New York City‘s cost of living and earning the city the moniker “little Manhattan.”^[8]

Panto received his bachelor’s degree form Kutztown University and his master’s degree from Lehigh University and has an Honorary Doctorate from Lafayette College.^{[citation needed]}

^ ^a ^b ^c “Mayor Salvatore J. Panto, Jr”. www.easton-pa.com. Easton, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ “Salvatore J. Panto, Jr”. www.easton-pa.com. Easton, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ ^a ^b “Salvatore J. Panto Jr”. lvb.com. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ Mabaso, Alaina. “Meet Urban Parks Champion, Easton Mayor Sal Panto”. goodforpa.com. Pennsylvania parks and recreation. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ Panto, Salvatore J. (30 December 2021). “Your View by Easton’s mayor: City rises to meet pandemic’s challenges. To assist the restaurants in the city he founded a program he called “Easton Alfresco” which provided the closed restaurants with outdoor dining. The program continues today as well. To assist small retailers he founded the “Winter Village” modeled after the Christmas Villages throughout Europe. It too continues today and has attracted shoppers from near and far”. www.mcall.com. Alden Global Capital. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ “Easton City Hall closed to the public as part of COVID-19 workplace measures”. www.wfmz.com. Maranatha Broadcasting Company. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ Groppe, Maureen. “Despite federal COVID aid, some cities face hurdles bringing workers back after budget cuts”. www.usatoday.com. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ Caldwell, Dave. “Easton, Pa.: A Gritty River Town Being Transformed”. www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ Myszkowski, Brian (17 May 2023). “Panto takes mayoral race for 5th term in a row, 7th overall”. Lehigh Valley News. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
^ Huth, Kelly (5 April 2023). “Lafayette’s America Reads team organizes Literacy Day”. Lafayette College. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
^ “91st Winter Meeting Registered Mayors”. United States Conference of Mayors. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
^ “Election Summary” (PDF). Northampton County. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
^ Salamone, Anthony (17 May 2023). “Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. declares victory in primary election as he seeks fifth straight term”. The Morning Call. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
^ “Summary Results Report 2019 Municipal Election” (PDF). www.northamptoncounty.org. Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ “Summary Report” (PDF). www.northamptoncounty.org. Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ “Results” (PDF). www.northamptoncounty.org. Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ “Summary report” (PDF). www.northamptoncounty.org. Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ “General election 2011 results for Lehigh Valley and Northwest New Jersey races”. www.lehighvalleylive.com. 9 November 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ “Municipal and county election results”. www.mcall.com. Alden Global Capital. 7 November 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ Jordan, Tracy (16 May 2007). “It’s Panto over Fleck in Easton primary ** Democratic mayoral hopeful will face Republican Gary Bertsch in November election”. www.mcall.com. Alden Global Capital. Retrieved 24 January 2023.

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