Tom McMahon
Encyclopedia
Tom McMahon is the mayor of Reading
, Pennsylvania
. His term began on January 5, 2004.
McMahon was born in Rochester, New York and graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology
and Pennsylvania State University
with degrees in engineering. He taught in Bangladesh
with the Peace Corps
before founding his own engineering firm in Reading.
McMahon was re-elected Mayor in November 2007 for a second four-year term, with 5,847 votes, or 66.5%.
. The Hazleton law, which allows for a fine of $1,000 if a home is rented to illegal aliens, as well as making English the official language of the city, is according to McMahon not required. He stated that "Reading is proud to hear Spanish spoken in public" and "Aren’t you glad this isn’t Hazleton?" McMahon observes that "It's a slippery slope for local municipalities to pass laws that are already in place and the feds aren’t enforcing".
On August 17, 2006, McMahon made a controversial comment regarding the reason for the construction of The Goggle Works not being for suburban folk and cocktail parties. A couple of days later in a letter to the Reading Eagle
, he apologized for the remarks.
McMahon is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
as of October 2006., a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston
Mayor Thomas Menino
and New York City
Mayor Michael Bloomberg
.
The first award has been given in the amount of $2200.00 to a local senior homeowner who had a major plumbing issue. Barbara Coffin, Executive Director of the Berks County Office of Aging stated that “I am delighted that the Office of Aging has been invited to be the conduit for the City’s Major System Grant Program. It is a benefit to be able to provide much needed assistance to our seniors in the community when a major systems failure happens in their housing that they cannot afford.” The Agency has recently had forty two applications to the program and Coffin is pleased to see that the program is moving and that eligible applicants are now benefiting.
The Major Systems Grant is a conditional grant program which is reduced yearly by owner residency in the property for a period of ten years. To be eligible for the MSGP, one must be 65 or older, own and reside in their home. Taxes must be up to date and home insurance must be verifiable.
This was a recommendation which came out of the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing to continue the Administration’s goal to improve housing stock in the City of Reading. “The Major Systems Grant Program is yet another way to enhance and improve the quality of life for our residents and I am pleased that the Community Development team is continuing their dedication to our seniors with this program.”
Mr. McMahon shared some elements of this vision on Berks TV during the first of a 2 part series. A blogger himself, Mr. McMahon also talked about his blog-reading habits and how he uses the Internet for research as part of his job as Mayor. He also says he will watch the occasional news video via the web.
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. His term began on January 5, 2004.
McMahon was born in Rochester, New York and graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
and Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
with degrees in engineering. He taught in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
with the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
before founding his own engineering firm in Reading.
McMahon was re-elected Mayor in November 2007 for a second four-year term, with 5,847 votes, or 66.5%.
Political stances
On July 16, 2006 Mayor McMahon, while attending the 3rd annual International Latin Festival at Reading's City Park, voiced his disapproval of a recent law enacted by the city of HazeltonHazleton, Pennsylvania
Hazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.6% from the 2000 census count .-Greater Hazleton:...
. The Hazleton law, which allows for a fine of $1,000 if a home is rented to illegal aliens, as well as making English the official language of the city, is according to McMahon not required. He stated that "Reading is proud to hear Spanish spoken in public" and "Aren’t you glad this isn’t Hazleton?" McMahon observes that "It's a slippery slope for local municipalities to pass laws that are already in place and the feds aren’t enforcing".
On August 17, 2006, McMahon made a controversial comment regarding the reason for the construction of The Goggle Works not being for suburban folk and cocktail parties. A couple of days later in a letter to the Reading Eagle
Reading Eagle
The Reading Eagle is the major daily newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania, in the United States. This family-owned newspaper has a daily circulation of 64,000 and a Sunday circulation of 100,000...
, he apologized for the remarks.
McMahon is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a coalition of over 600 mayors who support a number of gun control initiatives that the group calls "commonsense reforms" to fight illegal gun trafficking and gun violence in the United States...
as of October 2006., a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
Mayor Thomas Menino
Thomas Menino
Thomas Michael "Tom" Menino is the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, United States and the city's first Italian-American mayor...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
.
Major systems grant program
On July 25, 2006 Mayor Tom McMahon announced the awarding of the first grant in the City of Reading’s in City Hall. The program, a joint venture between the City of Reading’s Community Development Department and the Berks County Office of Aging provides grants to senior citizens who are residents and homeowners who are having difficulty providing new major systems for their properties. Major systems are defined as roofing, plumbing and heating systems, chimney repairs, and upgraded electrical systems at the source.The first award has been given in the amount of $2200.00 to a local senior homeowner who had a major plumbing issue. Barbara Coffin, Executive Director of the Berks County Office of Aging stated that “I am delighted that the Office of Aging has been invited to be the conduit for the City’s Major System Grant Program. It is a benefit to be able to provide much needed assistance to our seniors in the community when a major systems failure happens in their housing that they cannot afford.” The Agency has recently had forty two applications to the program and Coffin is pleased to see that the program is moving and that eligible applicants are now benefiting.
The Major Systems Grant is a conditional grant program which is reduced yearly by owner residency in the property for a period of ten years. To be eligible for the MSGP, one must be 65 or older, own and reside in their home. Taxes must be up to date and home insurance must be verifiable.
This was a recommendation which came out of the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing to continue the Administration’s goal to improve housing stock in the City of Reading. “The Major Systems Grant Program is yet another way to enhance and improve the quality of life for our residents and I am pleased that the Community Development team is continuing their dedication to our seniors with this program.”
Trash debate incident at The Marvel
On November 2, 2006, in front of Reading Police Chief William Heim and several others, McMahon removed signs opposing a public trash plan McMahon supported that were hung at The Marvel Ranch (a public eatery in Reading, Pennsylvania). McMahon stated he was outside the restaurant when he noticed two “Vote Yes” signs that he had placed in the window were missing. “They were the only two signs I put up in the whole campaign,” he said. “I saw the ‘Yes’ signs down and the two ‘No’ signs still up and did a dumb thing and took the two ‘No’ signs down.” He stated that he was frustrated that hundreds of “Vote Yes” signs have been removed throughout the city.Technology use
Mayor Tom McMahon has what he considers to be a big vision for Reading, including ubiquitous wifi, Internet at the Pagoda.Mr. McMahon shared some elements of this vision on Berks TV during the first of a 2 part series. A blogger himself, Mr. McMahon also talked about his blog-reading habits and how he uses the Internet for research as part of his job as Mayor. He also says he will watch the occasional news video via the web.