City Government - About Mayor Sal Panto, Jr.

Now in his fourth year of his current term, Mayor Panto is recognized for making Easton a cleaner and safer city in both its neighborhoods and its historic downtown. During his tenure crime has decreased in all three years and a city-wide street sweeping program has been initiated.

Internally, Mayor Panto is credited with bringing fiscal stability to the city. At a time when the nation is experiencing the worst recession since the Great Depression Mayor Panto and his team have had three straight years with no increase in real estate taxes and has had a year-end surplus all three years. His financial management has earned the city an increase in its Standard and Poor’s rating from a BBB to an A– which is indicative of the financial management team’s success.

Mayor Panto has also led an economic development program that is experiencing more than $200 million in public and private investment and the creation of hundreds of new jobs in the city. Major projects include the adaptive reuse of the former Pomeroy building which has been

Mayor Salvatore J. Panto, Jr.

vacant more than 35 years; Lafayette College’s North Third Street campus; connecting and upgrading the waterfront park to the city; many streetscape projects; relocating the intermodal project to South Third Street which will also be home to the National High School Sports Hall of Fame; and many others too numerous to mention. The Mayor is most proud of the housing rehabilitation program he started in the neighborhoods and the many successful small businesses opening and remaining open in the neighborhoods and downtown.

Sal also served as Mayor from 1984-1992 and is credited with success in all areas of city government. He was recognized as a leader among local government officials and elected to the position of President of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities (PLCM) and served as the Vice-President of the National League of Cities Environmental Steering Committee. He successfully lobbied the Federal government to have the E placed back in the ABE designation for the Lehigh Valley; secured major federal economic development grants and numerous state grants including major street projects, widening of the Third Street Bridge, the riverfront amphitheatre, upgrading of Heil Pool and the new pool at Eddyside. As a Past President of PLCM he continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the PLCM and is active in the United States Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities and was recently named to the Environmental Steering Committee.

Mayor Panto earned his Master’s Degree from Lehigh University and his Bachelor’s Degree from Kutztown University and in May he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Public Service from Lafayette College. As a teacher in the Easton Area School District he was looked upon as being one of the finest. During his time out of office Mayor Panto served in three senior management positions including Chief Administrative Officer of the Charles Chrin Companies; Senior Vice-President of Coordinated Health and Chief Administrative Officer of Strausser Enterprises, Inc.

Mayor Panto has been recognized on numerous occasions for his leadership and commitment to Easton. He is the recipient of many awards and honors. He also knows first hand the trials and tribulations of owning a small business. With his father, Sal Sr., they opened Sal’s Meat Market on College Hill in 1976 and enjoyed more than 28 years of success.

Born and raised in the City of Easton Sal is married to the former Pam Searles. They have four children and four grandchildren and live on the city’s South Side where they were both born and raised. Mayor Panto is approachable, listens to the people and makes people feel genuinely good about their city. With his leadership Easton is becoming a shining star in the region.

Click HERE to view the Mayor's 2012 Inaugural Address.
Click HERE to view the Mayor's 2012 State of the City Address.