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Council confirms Thomas Carson as Gracedale Continuum of Care director, amends start date to Aug. 17
Summary
Northampton County Council voted 8-1 on July 16 to confirm Thomas Carson as director of the Gracedale Continuum of Care and amended the resolution to set an Aug. 17, 2026 start date; the resolution lists a base salary of $109,632 and total salary and benefits of $148,249.
The Northampton County Council confirmed Thomas Carson as director of the Gracedale Continuum of Care on July 16, adopting an amendment to set his start date for Aug. 17, 2026.
The appointment resolution, introduced by the administration, listed a base salary of $109,632 and total salary and benefits of $148,249. Council President moved to amend the resolution’s effective date to Aug. 17; the motion was seconded by the County Executive and the amendment passed. The council adopted the final resolution by a recorded vote of 8 to 1.
County Executive (unnamed in the transcript) outlined Carson’s background in housing, behavioral health and workforce programs and said Carson attended a committee meeting the previous day and answered questions about his leadership and vision. "He has given real thought to the role and the needs that we would like to see," the County Executive said.
A council member who spoke in support noted Carson’s record at Victory House of the Lehigh Valley, saying, "he actually more than doubled the number of contributions and grants that Victory House received," and described that fiscal performance as evidence of his ability to bring additional funding to support Greysdale operations.
Several council members emphasized that the new position is a "continuum of care" director role distinct from a nursing‑home administrator, focusing on cross‑sector coordination and oversight rather than day‑to‑day nursing administration. The supporting discussion highlighted objectives such as meeting frontline staff and strengthening compliance with federal, state and VA funding requirements.
The amendment setting an Aug. 17 start date was moved by the presiding officer and seconded by the County Executive; the council voted 8 to 1 in favor of the amended appointment. Under the adopted resolution, Carson’s total compensation was recorded as $148,249. The council did not specify additional implementation steps in the meeting minutes.
