Northampton County (population 267,000) was created on March 11, 1752 from
parts of Bucks County and named for Northamptonshire, England, where Thomas
Penn's father-in-law, the Earl of Pomfret, lived. Easton, the county seat, was named
for the Earl's estate.
The Government of Northampton County consists of:
- The County Executive is responsible for overseeing county operations that serve
the residents and municipalities of Northampton County, and oversees the
departments of Administration, Community & Economic Development, Corrections,
Court Services, Fiscal Affairs, Human Resources, Human Services, and Public
Works, and the offices of the Coroner, Public Defender, Sheriff, and Solicitor.
- The County Council is the governing body of the County, and exercises legislative
power subject to the provisions of the Northampton County Home Rule Charter.
County Council is empowered to levy taxes, set salaries, adopt budgets, ordinances
& resolutions. County Council consists of nine elected members, four of which
represent districts, and five which are elected at-large throughout the entire County.
