Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Residents and firefighters press Bethlehem council to add personnel amid staffing shortfalls
Summary
Public commenters and union leaders urged Bethlehem City Council to add firefighters to the 2026 budget after multiple speakers said the department is operating well below established staffing levels; speakers called for short‑term hires and use of SAFER grants.
Several community members and representatives of the firefighters' union urged Bethlehem City Council on Nov. 20 to increase fire‑department staffing and to consider funding hires in the 2026 budget.
"This is incompetence," said Michael Liberto, who identified himself as "the Bethlehem Brawler," criticizing city leadership for allowing the fire department to operate "nearly half its staff." Liberto said the city was "12 firefighters" short and urged accountability from the mayor and administration. Lou Jimenez,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
