Councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith shares path to mayoral campaign

Bethlehem City Councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith, ‘05G, announced her candidacy for mayor of Bethlehem on Jan. 29, challenging incumbent Mayor J. William Reynolds in the Democratic primary this May. 

Crampsie Smith has served in local governments in Lehigh, Carbon and Schuylkill Counties for 15 years and has been a member of the Bethlehem City Council for five years. She was appointed to a two-year council term in September 2019 and was re-elected in 2021 to serve a four-year term.

Prior to working in local government, she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and social welfare from Bloomsburg University, and she received a master’s degree in counseling from Lehigh.

She’s actively involved in Bethlehem’s finance, community development and public works committees, as well as the public service committee and the Bethlehem Mental Health Services Appeal board. 

The Brown and White spoke to Crampsie Smith to discuss her campaign and her stances on issues affecting Bethlehem residents.

Crampsie Smith said she wasn’t initially planning to run for mayor. However, after citizens expressed concerns to her regarding a lack of accessibility and transparency in Reynolds’ administration, she decided to enter the race. 

She said if voters were to look at her own voting record, they would find she hasn’t supported proponents of the Reynolds’ administration. 

Crampsie Smith said she voted against the city’s 2024 budget after Reynolds opened his budget address by stating Bethlehem was in the best financial position ever. She believed this statement misrepresented the city’s sizable allocation of rescue fund money from the federal government after receiving $35 million dollars in 2021. 

She also said the city has until 2026 to spend the rescue fund money.

“Even though he wanted to propose raising taxes as well as doing a sewer increase, I just felt that if we’re in the best financial position, then why would we raise taxes?” Crampsie Smith said. “That just sounds contradictory to me, so I voted against the budget.”

When asked about plans to enhance public health and safety, she said she has immense confidence in Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott. Cramspie Smith expressed pride in Bethlehem’s Community Connections program, which pairs police officers with social workers to assist individuals experiencing mental health crises.

Crampsie Smith said she disagrees with the Reynolds administration’s spending on consultants, particularly the $1 million dollars spent within the Community and Economic Development Department.

“I feel that in many of those cases, we could have looked to people within the community who are working in that field and have expertise in that area,” she said.

Crampsie Smith said she believes using local consultants could have saved money and enforced community engagement. 

She also said she thinks Bethlehem should hire an operations manager to improve City Hall’s efficiency.

Crampsie Smith agrees with Reynold’s and Kott’s statement to not officially designate Bethlehem a “welcoming city” despite residents urging this ordinance. She said existing policies and measures already foster an inclusive environment for immigrants.

She continued to express support for Kott and the Bethlehem Police Department, highlighting the city’s Commision for Accreditation on Law Enforcement certification, which she said is only attained by a small percentage of police departments nationally. 

The certification from the private 501(c)(3) corporation trains law enforcement to enhance their work on public safety, according to the commission’s website.

She also emphasized Bethlehem police do not participate in the 287(g) program, which enables local officers to collaborate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement.

“Our police do not ask for immigration status and will not work with (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) unless they have a warrant,” she said. “We don’t work as immigration officers.” 

As a former school counselor, Crampsie Smith said many of her students were immigrants and refugees.

“I know for a fact, based on their stories and their parents, that many of the people here are not coming here to commit crimes,” she said. “They’re coming here because they have to save their lives.” 

Crampsie Smith declined to comment when asked what future she sees for the city of Bethlehem or her plans for her campaign trail.

As of the time of publication, Crampsie Smith and Reynolds are the only two declared Democratic candidates for mayor. Reynolds announced his bid for reelection on Feb. 21.

The primary election will be held May 20. Voting information can be found on the Northampton County Elections Department website.