Northampton County Council adopts Human Relations Commission ordinance after hours of public testimony and technical amendments

Northampton County Council voted 9-0 on March 19 to adopt an ordinance establishing a county Human Relations Commission intended to provide a local forum for discrimination complaints and extend protections not explicitly covered by the state law.

The vote followed an extended public hearing in which more than a dozen residents, advocates and nonprofit leaders urged passage. Liz Bradbury, who identified herself as chair of the Lehigh County Human Relations Commission and CEO of Keystone Equality, told the council that a local commission can resolve complaints much faster than the state agency and offered free training for Northampton commissioners. "It's easy to implement and fair to both the complainant and the respondent," Bradbury said.

Speakers who testified included Corinne Goodwin, founder and executive director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Trans Equity Project, who said the 1955 Pennsylvania Human Relations Act "doesn't contemplate the realities of today's workforce" and urged local protections for gig workers and people who use service animals. Kevin Wilson, a licensed social worker and Keystone Equality board member, said a local panel would offer a timelier remedy than the backlog at the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and volunteered to serve if appointed.

Council members debated several technical amendments before the final vote. One amendment removed language that might permit reimbursing commissioners for expenses and clarified that members "shall serve without salary"; that change passed on a recorded vote (7-2). Another amendment revised appointment timing to align with the county's Home Rule Charter by specifying that the county executive appoint commissioners and county council confirm appointments within 30 days; that change passed 9-0. Council also adopted a requirement that the commission provide quarterly written reports and approved a cleanup change to use the term "non job related disability" to mirror state statutory language; that amendment passed 8-1.

The ordinance as amended defines a local process intended to reduce waiting times for complainants and to give the county more immediate authority in mediations and investigations. Proponents repeatedly told council that similar language in Lehigh County has not led to a surge in complaints and, by contrast, has made local enforcement more responsive. "We should be able to turn to our local commission in our own community," Eric Grama, a father of children with disabilities and LGBT youth, said during public comment.

The council's final voice vote to adopt the ordinance was recorded as 9 in favor, 0 opposed. The ordinance now creates the Human Relations Commission and directs its administrative setup and reporting schedule; additional budget and staffing details were discussed as items for future implementation. The council did not set an effective date in the hearing transcript; implementation steps were discussed as follow-ups to be handled by county administration.

The public hearing and council debate captured both the community backing—represented by local advocacy groups, educators and faith leaders—and council members' concerns about administrative mechanics and parity with existing boards and committees. The council's packet included references to Lehigh County's ordinance as a model and letters of support from municipal partners, including the City of Bethlehem.