Allentown City Council appointed Jasmine Salgado to serve as Interim City Controller on August 25, 2026. Her focus is on how the City budgets and spends public dollars, whether its financial controls are working as intended, and how the Controller’s Office can make its findings easier for residents to understand.

Jasmine brings experience in accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, audit preparation, and organizational management. She previously held financial management positions with The Baum School of Art, Alick Smith G.C., and Miquel-Rius USA. A Bethlehem native and graduate of Bethlehem Catholic High School, she has called Allentown home for over 20 years and spent 13½ years as a landlord in the city.

As co-founder and executive director of Valley Wealth Alliance and a Certified Financial Education Instructor, Jasmine brings schools, nonprofits, financial institutions, and local businesses together to build programs around what students and families need. In school classrooms, students learn how to budget, save, and make spending decisions. For adults, Valley Wealth Alliance offers programs on managing household expenses, establishing or rebuilding credit, preparing for first-time homeownership, and exploring career paths. Jasmine’s passion is making financial education something people can use right away, whether they’re making their first spending decision or figuring out how to support a household on an unpredictable income.

That same commitment to making financial information useful shapes Jasmine’s approach as Controller. She wants residents to be able to follow how the City raises and spends money, understand what a budget decision means for their neighborhood, and have enough information to ask their own questions.