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Bethlehem presents grant‑driven 2026 community and economic development budget; ARPA civic accounts remain central
Summary
Director Collins told council the department’s $16M‑plus proposed budget is driven by grants and fees (about 96%), highlighted programs for public health, homelessness prevention, and economic revitalization, and described ARPA‑funded civic expense accounts that continue to underwrite affordable housing, homelessness projects and the Community Recovery Fund.
Miss Collins, director of the City of Bethlehem’s Department of Community and Economic Development, presented the department’s proposed 2026 budget and a multi‑bureau tour of programs the department runs or supports. The presentation, given to the full council on Nov. 27, emphasized that the department’s operating budget is largely grant‑funded and fee‑supported, limiting its impact on the general fund.
Collins said the department’s total budget exceeds $16 million but stressed that roughly 96% of that funding comes from grants or program revenue rather than property tax dollars. She highlighted the Health Bureau’s Community Connections program (523 referrals in 2025), the Family Planning/STD clinic (about 350 clients served), and HUD‑funded Lead & Healthy Homes assistance (52 homes remediated this year). Collins also described the code bureau’s workload amid more than $1.4 billion in recent private construction investment and explained that a recent council vote to raise permit fees will fund two…
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