Northampton County Commissioners Zrinski, Cusick battle for county controller
Republican John Cusick and Democrat Tara Zrinski, colleagues on Northampton County Council, will face off in the Nov. 7 election for county controller.
Cusick was unopposed in the May GOP primary, but Zrinski overcame a challenge from political newcomer Nadeem Qayyum of Easton, winning the Democratic nomination with 60% of the vote.
Whoever wins the election will begin the job in January, when a higher salary – $85,000 a year, an increase of $10,000 – kicks in. County council unanimously voted Sept. 15, 2022, to raise the controller salary.
The position carries a four-year term, which traditionally has been an unlimited number of terms. But that could change for the new controller, depending what voters decide in next month’s election.
The ballot includes three questions to set limits for county offices: executive and controller (two consecutive four-year terms) and council (three consecutive four-year terms). If approved, term limits for the controller and council would begin in 2024 while the executive’s would take effect in 2026.
Zrinski abstained from voting on the controller question because she was a candidate for the office, even though she was advised voting on the issue would not be a conflict of interest; Cusick voted to place all three questions on the ballot.
Zrinski opposed placing the other two questions on the ballot, saying turnout is significantly lower in such off-year elections; she said the questions should be on a ballot when turnout is higher, typically when federal and statewide positions are in play. (Council this year also approved a fourth question – restricting the district attorney to four four-year terms – but that will appear on the 2024 primary ballot.)
Norco ballot questions would limit terms for executive, council and controller (substack.com)
Electing a new controller should also bring continuity to the office, which has seen a series of people in the job since 2018. That’s when Stephen Barron, who had served 14 years, resigned midway through his fourth term to become county director of fiscal affairs in Executive Lamont McClure’s administration.
To fill the remainder of Barron’s term, council appointed Richard “Bucky” Szulborski, who held the job until Tony Bassil was elected and then began his term in 2020. However, Bassil died in September 2021, and council again looked to Szulborski to complete a term, but he passed away in June 2023. Council appointed Scott Parsons in July to serve until Cusick or Zrinski is sworn in January.
The controller’s office acts as the county’s fiscal watchdog, reviewing county programs and offices to examine how revenue and expenses are handled. The controller oversees an office staff that includes seven auditors and a solicitor, according to its website.
John Cusick
Cusick, 57, lives in Williams Township. He has served nearly 16 years on county council, first as an at-large member from 2006-14 and then as the District 3 commissioner since 2016. He did not seek reelection to county council this year, choosing instead to run for controller.
He received a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh University in 1989 with a double major in mathematics and history, a master’s in education degree from East Stroudsburg University in secondary education mathematics in 1997, and a certification in educational supervision from Centenary University. He taught secondary school math for 28 years, with most of that at Hunterdon Central High School in Flemington, N.J., before retiring earlier this year.
Cusick’s first elected office was as a Williams Township supervisor, winning a seat for a six-year term in 2001 and joining the board in 2002. In 2004, he ran for state representative from the 136th District, losing to Democratic incumbent Robert Freeman. He ran for county council in 2005 and joined the board in 2006. In between his two stints on council, he was elected as a township auditor.
While on county council, he served as president for five years and also chaired council’s finance, personnel, and open space committees. He was a member of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania board of directors and chaired its committee on assessment and taxation. He said serving on council’s Finance Committee gave him knowledge of and experience with county audits.
As controller, he would:
Submit the annual audit for county finances within the required 120 days after the end of the fiscal year, something that has not routinely occurred.
Insist that county contracts be open for competitive bid.
Continue oversight of how county offices and agencies handle their money “to ensure every dollar is properly allocated where it legally belongs.”
Closely examine county hotel tax revenue to ensure that the county received the correct amount.
“The controller must be independent whether the county administration is run by either a Democrat or Republican,” he said in response to questions via email. “While the current Northampton County executive is a Democrat, that could change during the four-year term of the controller. Balance sheets, numbers and accounting standards aren’t partisan.”
Tara Zrinski
Zrinksi, 48, of Hanover Township, has served as an at-large member of county council for nearly six years, elected in 2017 and reelected to a second term in 2021.
She graduated from Drew University in Madison, N.J., in 1997, where she majored in philosophy and English, and received master’s degrees in theological studies and pastoral counseling from Moravaian University in 2007.
She previously served as director of life-span faith development at Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley and has served as an adjunct professor of philosophy at DeSales University and Northampton Community College. She has worked for SunPulse Solar, based in Bloomsburg, Columbia County, as a project manager and consultant. In 2015, she wrote, illustrated and self-published a children's book, "All Ducks Are Birds (But, Not All Birds Are Ducks)."
While a member of council, she twice ran unsuccessfully for state legislative offices.
In 2020, she lost the election for state representative from the 138th District to Republican Ann Flood, who received 56% of the vote in the contest to succeed state Rep. Marcia Hahn, who declined to seek reelection to a sixth term. Last year, Zrinski lost the Democratic primary to Nick Miller in the new state Senate District 14 by 48 votes, according to certified results.
On county council, she serves as chair of the Energy, Environment and Land Use Committee and is a member of the Economic Development Committee. She sits on the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority board and is the county council representative on the Wildlands Conservancy board. She is also a member of the Energy, Environment and Land Use Committee of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.
On her campaign website, she outlined her priorities as controller:
Improve financial accountability and transparency.
Strengthen the county’s budget process.
Enhance public services while controlling costs.
Encourage economic development and job creation.
Foster collaboration between county departments.
“The office of county controller is a fiscal watchdog that is meant to increase transparency and accountability,” she said in an email response to questions. ”As a county commissioner I have been someone who has looked out for the taxpayers to ensure that tax dollars are spent where it benefits the most people.”
As examples, she cited efforts to oppose the proposed 116-mile PennEast Pipeline, which would have transported Marcellus shale gas from northeastern Pensylvania through the county and into New Jersey (the company abandoned the plan in 2021 after widespread opposition); protect the environmentally troubled Bushkill Creek; and advocate for residents of the Oliver C. Border apartment building in Nazareth that is home to people with disabilities and those who are at least 62.
“These are just three examples but when the people of the community reach out to me, I am there for them and I prioritize their needs. I will do the same when I am county controller but the focus will be on finance, performance and procedure within the county departments,” she said.
She noted the controller’s job is mostly an administrative one that requires leadership.
“I have managed people before and know how to motivate individuals. There are a number of audits that are required by the state that are part of the annual workload. I would work with the current auditors in the office to prioritize additional services/projects that would bring efficiency and transparency to the departments within the county.”
As controller, she would consider the effect of county programs on people.
“Behind the line items on a budget or in any audit, there is a person that is impacted by that number. We can't just slash a budget willfully without understanding [how] the decision will have a real impact on people. … I vow to keep Gracedale county owned and operated, to look into the HUD [Housing and Urban Development] program and see where it can be more efficient, and to build strong relationships with county departments and agencies to understand how we can work together to make services more accessible and efficient. I am a taxpayer too and I want to know that my tax dollars are being spent wisely so, you can rest assured, I won't let the taxpayers down.”
Campaign Issues
Cusick questioned how Zrinski could be an independent controller because county Executive McClure contributed $1,000 to her primary campaign. (Campaign finance reports for the general election won’t be available until Oct. 27.)
“While my opponent has been a staunch ally of and advocate for this administration, during my four terms on county council, I have a clear record of questioning spending and budget proposals from both Republican and Democratic administrations,” he said in an email. “It strains the bounds of credibility to claim you will act independently when you take a large campaign contribution from the county executive. I have pledged not to accept campaign contributions from county employees, unions, vendors, grant recipients, or anyone with county business.”
In response, Zrinski said, “Just because I received a donation from the county executive does not mean that I am beholden to him. The office of county controller is separate and independent from the administration, and the county executive has no power to dictate what the office of controller does or how it is run. In short, I would not be an employee of Mr. McClure and that is why it is an elected position. I just happen to have Mr. McClure's support as a fellow Democrat.”
Cusick also criticized Zrinski’s frequent campaigns for other offices.
“Unlike my opponent, I have not run for a different political office each of the last four years,” he said. “The county controller's office should not be a consolation prize or parking space on the way to Harrisburg. I believe my four terms on council, 16 years on the Finance Committee, serving as a township supervisor and auditor, demonstrate my dedication to county and local government. If elected, I will not be running for another office.”
Zrinski said Cusick’s complaint about her multiple candidacies is baseless, noting that he has also sought election to different offices.
“I see no problem in running again,” she said. “I deliberated over this because running is not easy after losing such a close race [in the state Senate primary last year]. If anything, it shows my commitment to public service and my desire to want to be in service to my community. My heart is in public service, and it is where I want to be. So even though I wasn't successful in the past, I believe that running a grassroots campaign to build recognition is the only way a person like me – a single, middle-class mom – can get into office.”