Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Northampton County Council member Lori Vargo Heffner said Wednesday that she will seek re-election to Northampton County Council as an at-large member.

“I’m announcing that I will be seeking a third term to continue my service to all residents and fight for Northampton County’s working families,” said Vargo Heffner, a Democrat who lives in Lower Saucon Township and is currently council president.

In a news release announcing her campaign, she cited a record that includes seven years without a tax increase as well as a tax cut.

“During my tenure, I have worked across party lines to maintain quality core services, complete the P3 bridge project and enhance good governance practices,” Vargo Heffner said. “I have led efforts to create an independent pay study for our workforce and an independent study of operations at Gracedale. I have worked with judicial services to support their service delivery needs and identify ways to collaborate on the statewide mental health population crisis in our prisons.”

“I believe the essence of good government is to be an independent voice and work to ensure a high quality of life for all residents,” she added. “I have proven my experience, commitment and integrity during my seven years on Northampton County Council, and I would be honored to continue working to improve the quality of life of all of our residents.”

In addition to her current role as president, Vargo Heffner has served as vice president and chair of the Human Services, Finance, Governance and Election Integrity committees, the release said. She serves as Northampton County Council liaison to the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation and Discover Lehigh Valley as well as on the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) Board as the Region 6 Representative and as a member of CCAP’s Human Services and Court and Corrections committees. She is also the current president of the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women.

In the release, Vargo Heffner said her “accomplishments on County Council include the creation of term limits for all elected county officials, a Responsible Contracting Ordinance which ensured that county residents earn a living wage for work done in Northampton County, distribution of ARPA funds to small businesses during the COVID pandemic and support for all farmland preservation and environmental resolutions.”

A nearly 30-year resident of Northampton County, Vargo Heffner is a psychotherapist employed by St. Luke’s University Health Network. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Moravian College, a Master’s degree in Counseling from Kutztown University and a Master’s degree in Adult and Organizational Development from Temple University. She serves on the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation and Discover Lehigh Valley boards and is a member of Assumption BVM Catholic Church, where she serves as a lector and on the Liturgy Board.