Pantages steps down from Allentown council
Longtime Borough Council president cites business obligations as reason for resignation
By alison granito
Staff Writer

Longtime Allentown Borough Council President Peter L.A. Pantages has formally resigned from his seat on the governing body.

Mayor Stuart Fierstein announced the resignation at last week’s meeting of the Borough Council.

In a letter dated Jan. 3 and made public last week, Pantages cites increasing travel for business obligations as the reason behind his resignation.

"Due to business obligations and time constraints, I can no longer provide the services to the borough of Allentown that I have for these last 17 years," Pantages said in his letter.

He also said that, effective Jan. 3, his permanent place of residence would no longer be in Allentown, but in Jupiter, Fla.

Pantages, who was present at the council’s reorganization meeting on Jan. 2, chose not to seek another term as council president after 14 years of holding the top spot. However, he made the motion to nominate fellow Councilman Art West for the post. An Allentown resident since 1986, Pantages would have served his 17th year on the council in 2003. He was first appointed to the council to fill an unexpired term in 1988.

"It is with deep regret that I accept this resignation," Fierstein said at the meeting, noting that he and Pantages had served together on the Borough Council for 14 years.

"This is like breaking up the Lone Ranger and Tonto," he added.

According to his letter, Pantages has served as council president for 12 of his 17 years on the governing body.

"During that time frame, I met a lot of new people, made some great friends and believe we accomplished a lot for the people of the borough of Allentown," he wrote.

According to his letter, Pantages’ philosophy of how government should be run can be defined by asking a simple question, "Are you elected to do as the people want, or do they elect you to do as you feel is right for them?"

"I have always taken the latter approach. I believe that you are elected for what you stand for and what you believe is right or wrong. If the people don’t like that, they can vote you out in the next election," he said.

Pantages also credited the other council members and the mayor with keeping Allentown running smoothly and achieving good results in the borough.

He cited the borough’s fiscal stability, the preservation of Heritage Park, and the borough’s recent designation as a village center by the state after a 10-year effort as noteworthy accomplishments of the governing body in recent years.

"There are still things to be accomplished, goals to be set and decisions to be made. However, I feel comfortable stepping down in that the tradition of good government, well-being, fiscal restraint, providing services not at the minimum but at the best available, integrity in government, moral fiber plus accountability will continue unimpeded by the elected officials in the borough of Allentown," he said.

Although hopeful for the future, the letter cites his dissatisfaction with parts of the recent political climate in the borough.

The mayor and all six council members are currently Republicans.

"I have never found Allentown to be a truly partisan town; it is one that believes in the two-party system, but it is one where all appointments, elections and tasks are done for the betterment of the town and not for any particular cause. It hasn’t been until recently that there have been some people in the community that don’t believe doing the right thing for the community is the way to approach things.

"Hopefully, this outlook will never make it into elected office in the borough and I believe that it won’t, as the people of Allentown know better," he added.

Pantages’ current term will expire at the end of this year.

At press time, no information was available on who would be chosen to fill the remainder of the term.