Northampton County Commissioner Thomas Giovanni is seeking a second four-year term and lists promoting high-speed internet access among his goals.
“We are now in the technological age of remote workers and virtual learning,” Giovanni said in an emailed statement. “This is expanding rapidly.” Advocates for expanding broadband Internet to all rural and urban areas of the county.
Giovanni is a Republican representing Northampton County District 4, which includes the northwestern part of the county and the Slate Belt. He has worked as an information technology consultant and serves as the County Council’s IT expert.
His district includes many small towns and Giovanni sees a need to help them fund police departments and emergency services.
He also sees a need for changes to the county’s “Responsible Contractors Ordinance,” known as the RCO. The ordinance helps direct construction work toward union shops, which have apprenticeship programs.
Supporters of RCOs say they encourage the development of a skilled workforce. Opponents say they limit the pool of bidders, which may result in higher costs for taxpayers.
“As you’ve seen in the past, few contractors are bidding (on county jobs) and I don’t think our Northampton County taxpayers are getting the best competitive prices on those projects,” Giovanni said.
He also vowed to retain oversight of Gracedale, the county nursing home in Upper Nazareth Township.
“Older taxpayers in Northampton County see Gracedale as their center of care for the elderly, so we need to keep that in our focus,” Giovanni said.
Giovanni lives in Wind Gap. He and his wife Sharon raised three children, according to his official county biography.
He is an IT consultant and project team purchasing manager for East Coast Network Services, and the former founder and owner of Hi-Tech Laser Systems.
He is a member of the board of directors of Nazareth Mutual Insurance Co., where he is chairman of the Technology Committee.
Giovanni has also been active in community organizations. He volunteers for the Nazareth School District Technology Committee and sits on the advisory board for the Slate Belt YMCA and its Construction Committee. He is a former President and Vice President of the Greater Valley YMCA Corporate Board, a former Nazareth Business Council Board Member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. He has served on the board of the Nazareth/Bath Chamber of Commerce and is past Chairman of the Schoeneck Moravian Church Board of Trustees.
As District 4 Commissioner, he represents several municipalities at the county level: Bath, Bangor, Bushkill, Chapman, East Bangor, Lehigh Township, Lower Mount Bethel, Moore Township, Pen Argyl, Plainfield Township, Portland, Roseto, Upper Mount Bethel, Upper Nazareth, Walnutport, Washington Township, and Wind Gap.