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Neighbor,

Welcome to my blog about state and local government, with a focus on my hometown and Lehigh County District 2! I’m a lifelong resident of Lower Mac and a local small business owner twice over. I began serving in January 2014, sworn in for the first of two 4-year terms as a Lower Macungie commissioner. In 2021, I was honored to be elected Lehigh County Commissioner for District 2.

My first campaign in 2013 was a grassroots effort focused on quality of life and fiscal sustainability through smarter growth strategies. At the time, it served as a referendum on the land-use decisions of past boards, and I’m deeply grateful for the community’s continued support since then.

Since becoming a Lehigh County Commissioner, I’m proud to say we haven’t raised taxes during my time on the board. Financial solvency is key to long-term prosperity, and I apply that principle to both my votes and my business.

I also chair the Lehigh County Farmland Preservation Board. Did you know Lehigh County has over 28,000 acres of preserved farmland? We rank 4th in the state!

During my time as Lower Macungie Commissioner, we reduced property tax bills for homeowners through an innovative use of a homestead program. Lower Macungie now has the lowest property tax of any suburban community in the Lehigh Valley.

We’ve preserved nearly 300 more acres of open space and farmland in the last 3 years, kickstarting an effort that’s since added several hundred more acres. We’ve also become the most transparent local government in the Lehigh Valley.

The opinions here represent my own. I welcome questions and comments always. Feel free to email me at Ronbeitler@gmail.com

Sincerely,
Ron
Lehigh Co. Commissioner District 2
Former President Lower Macungie Board of Commissioners serving my second 4-year term
Chairperson, Lehigh Co. Farmland Preservation Board. 


 

 

Want to keep taxes low? Preserve Open Space.

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Large contiguous tract of farmland in Lower Macungie Township

(Submitted as LTE to LMT Patch and an abbreviated version to EPP)

Preserving open space with a balanced land use approach reduces costs for infrastructure and services, therefore over the long term reducing the need for tax increases. Farmland and open space generate no traffic, create no crime, requires no additional fire protection and brings no new students into our school system.

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It’s Groundhog Day for Ethics reforms in PA

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Have you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day? It’s where Bill Murray wakes up and relives the same day over and over. That’s basically life here in Pennsylvania waiting for legislators to act on meaningful reforms. Each election cycle “News conferences are held. Bills are introduced. Proposals are made. And what happens?” The answer is nothing.

I wanted to take a moment to share the link below. It’s a quick read and sums up broad themes why I’m running for State Representative. Items even more relevant now that we’re challenging an incumbent.

Below, is an important line from the piece. One which I agree with 100%:

“It’ll take a whole new class of Pa. lawmakers – people more interested in public service than self-service – to alter this basic dynamic of our state’s political culture.”

 

The time to shake the system loose is now. That’s what our campaign is about. Less about any one particular incumbent but rather incumbency and complacency in general. Our State legislature is the highest paid, but without question the lowest functioning in the nation. Status quo is so clearly not the answer.

Thank you,
Ron
Candidate for 134th State House

P.S.
I can compete and win this. But I need your help. Incumbents fundraise within established donor networks year round. In contrast, I’m raising money in large part from higher quantities of individual donors at smaller amounts. To date: Over 75 people have made individual contributions! My average donation has been just under 100 dollars. While this takes longer and is harder work, it’s the right way to fundraise.
Will you support my campaign for State Representative & contribute $35, $50 or
$75 today?
Or if you prefer you can mail contributions to:
Committee to Elect Ron Beitler
5540 Lower Macungie Rd.
Macungie, PA
18062

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀… 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀.

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𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀.

My first piece of legislation for 2026 will be distributed to my colleagues in the near future for co sponsorship. 1st read at our next meeting. It’s not flashy but addresses an issue that deserves attention.

The ordinance requires our Office of Assessment to provide an annual report to Commissioners with key data about the health of the county’s property assessment system including metrics, information on appeals and trends affecting the tax base.

As a preface, I’ve long reinforced on this page a belief that property taxes are one of the worst forms of taxation. They are fundamentally regressive taxes that hit folks with less income harder impacting housing affordability. Unfortunately, school property taxes have been rising year after year at unsustainable levels.

𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁.

Over time assessments drift when markets change but values stay fixed. Some properties rise in value faster than others. When the system isn’t updated it produces winners and losers. Some artificially pay less while others carry more than they should. Regrettably, while the state requires us to use property taxes, they punt on the obligation to conduct reassessments to counties. This obligation is often ignored due to politics.

When reassessments become political and put off for years the system becomes more and more unfair. A third of PA’s 67 counties haven’t conducted one since 2000. 40% of the state relies on outdated data.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆. At this time, the data is not telling us we need to conduct reassessment.

Instead, my proposal requires a front and center presentation yearly based on underlying data. It makes sure commissioners and the public review the data yearly so future discussions are based on facts, not politics. The policy makes it harder for boards and executives to punt, ignore or kick the can down the road. It gives us warning when the time comes.

𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Declaring my Independence.

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A picture of the exhausted majority leaving the 2 party system.

In what should come as no surprise if you’ve followed this space for a while, last Friday I changed my voter registration to Independent (unaffiliated). I did so in person at the Lehigh County Voter Registration Office.

Not a reaction to any single thing. It’s been a slow burn over the past few years. It simply aligns my registration with how I’ve done these jobs for 12 years. The brands, especially at the national level, no longer represent me.

I’m not alone. Surveys show 45% of Americans now identify as Independent. The largest political identification group in the Nation. Among voters under 30? It’s over 50%. Satisfaction with the two parties is at an all time low. Less than 25% for each party. Here in PA many folks remaining in the two parties only do so holding their noses to vote in closed primaries.

Party politics have become a barrier to people talking to each other normally. As human beings. My job now? To protect county services. Focus on the nuts and bolts of local government. Partisanship rancor is a barrier to effectively doing this.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗸𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁. 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱?

It’s structural. By design. Gerrymandering creates districts where politicians have carefully chosen voters. The entire system rewards candidates who engage in performative politics meant to galvanize bases instead of governing for a whole community. And it works. Politics becomes performance art, and governing takes a back seat to signaling.

In my small way, it’s about stepping outside that power structure. Local government works best when decisions are grounded in fact, intentional about institutional responsibility and local needs, not partisan incentives.

We have an absolutely exhausted silent majority in the United States. Folks are tired of politics being treated like a zero sum game while difficult issues that actually impact people’s lives sit unresolved for years.

Our politics have been allowed to rot and it needs a core reset. We’ve had an alarming erosion of constitutional norms. The way our elections work and the incentives shaping candidates are wearing down institutions and weakening the norms that make the system function.

I’ve had this page for over 12 years. Here, we may not always agree on everything. But ya know what? We might also realize there’s a lot we do. I will ALWAYS tell you honestly what I think, not what I think you want to hear. And then hopefully we’ll talk.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀:

 

𝗜 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

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Here is why:

Today our system runs through more than 10,000 individual jurisdictions. Lehigh County is one such jurisdiction. This is NOT a flaw. It’s a safeguard. No single system to corrupt. No single office to pressure. No single chain of command. Power is spread out, making large scale corruption much harder.

A national system might look cleaner on paper, but creates one target. One structure. One tech framework. If something fails at the national level, it fails everywhere. A nationwide failure could endanger our democracy. Yes, Congress sets certain rules and baseline protections, but the administration of elections remains local. That layered structure is the protection.
Yes, there have been isolated incidents. Each concerning. But overall? Elections in our country are fair and transparent. Issues are caught through audits, observers and legal review.

This is the strength of decentralization. No system is perfect. Local control can produce variation, but decentralization prevents a single error, breach or bad actor from cascading into a nationwide catastrophe.

This reflects my belief in bottom up government. Authority starts closest to the people, consistent with the 10th Amendment. Our constitutional system was designed to divide power, prevent concentration and protect liberty through FEDERALISM.

And no, states are absolutely not “agents of the federal government”. That shows a concerning misunderstanding of the Constitution, which divides power BY DESIGN to prevent centralized control.

Most importantly? It’s constitutionally illegal.
(The Constitution is the only thing we swear an oath to)

Body cams now essential equipment for law enforcement

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It should be a priority at every level of government that law enforcement officers are equipped with body cameras and required to use them during all applicable interactions. Body cameras provide basic accountability protecting BOTH officers and the public. They should not be considered essential equipment for law enforcement and related fields.

I’m not an expert on use of force or escalation. And so this is not a post evaluating what happened. A full investigation must occur immediately to determine what went wrong. What I do know is that in yesterday’s horrific tragedy in MN there was no officer perspective captured via body camera. That absence makes objective fact finding during an investigation of this nature more difficult and prolongs uncertainty.

Again, maximum transparency protects BOTH the public AND officers. For that reason, I’ll continue to support the purchase and deployment of body cameras for county law enforcement and related personnel including Sheriffs, Corrections and Parole when professionals in those fields tell me they see a need.

During my time on the Board, we’ve proactively supported the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office to the point where they’re fully equipped to deploy body cameras, dash cameras and other transport vehicle cameras as needed.

I’ll remain vocal on this issue and open to evaluating additional areas for investment as needed. Body cameras ARE EXPENSIVE. But necessary and worth every penny. It’s become an essential piece of equipment.

Lehigh County preserves 2 of it’s own properties

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11/25 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱-𝟲𝟵 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗜 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟳𝟵 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱. This adds to Lehighs 28,000 acres over 400+ farms. Did you know… We rank 4th!!! in the state in preserved farmland?
The newly preserved Upper Milford Township farms are located at:
– 3590 Church View Road, Emmaus 54 acres

– 5900 German Road, Emmaus 25 acres

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁:
🌽 An agricultural conservation easement is a permanent legal restriction on land development that limits future uses of land to agriculture. This protection is forever.
🚜 Applicants for preservation have their properties ranked through objective criteria set at the local and state levels. Even though these are county owned properties, they went through the same process and scrutiny that any applicant would. The criteria weighs soil quality the most but also looks at proximity to other preserved farms, minimum size and development potential. These two farms both ranked in the top 3.

🌾 Because they ranked so high, the county is being paid by the state for the development rights. We will roll those proceeds back into our local preservation program which lets us protect more land next year. Win win.

𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹: 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵

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𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
📅 6:30 Oct. 9th
📍 Camp Olympic Barn (Upstairs)

3120 S Cedar Crest Blvd

𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴:
𝗥𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗿 Lehigh County Commissioner, Chair Lehigh Co. Farmland Preservation Board.
𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 President, Lower Macungie Board of Commissioners
𝗪𝗲𝘀ley 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁 Chair, Lower Macungie Planning Commission
𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲:
• The Lehigh County Farmland Preservation Program
• Thinking outside the box: Preservation wins in Lower Macungie
• Balancing preservation with the Valley’s growing housing needs
• Emergent Land Use Issues (For ex. Data Centers)

• Area infrastructure challenges, including the 222 bypass.

The opportunity is NOW! How the township can work with PennDOT and other stakeholders to address a longstanding issue.

This is an opportunity to learn, ask questions, and engage with local leaders about how we shape the future of our community—protecting farmland and character while meeting the needs of a growing region.

Let’s take the offramp. Before it’s too late.

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Recently, a meeting in Upper Bucks was cancelled because of threats. Obviously, last week was difficult for our Nation with a political assassination. There was the attempt on the life of The President of the United States. Melissa Hortman former speaker of the Minnesota house was killed. Here in PA an attempt on the life of Governor Shapiro.

𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀.

𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽.

Concerning the most recent tragedy. I knew the name Charlie Kirk before last week, but I have to be honest. I never really watched his content. Mostly because I don’t spend alot of time in the world of social media influencers. Clearly, many Americans do. So I spent some time learning about him. Family man. Christian. Loving father. His viewpoints? Some I agree with, some I don’t. But he was a very effective communicator who used words. That’s a hallmark of American democracy. His death unquestionably a tragedy.

Many statements followed over the next few days. Sadly, a high-profile State Rep. and candidate for Lehigh County Executive made a particularly reckless post that entirely missed the mark. He took the low road. The result? More toxicity and unproductive finger pointing on his page. That’s not leadership. Not at all. And it saddens me to think that element might be creeping into County politics, where our current board and Executive have worked hard to solve problems together.

Others Nationally rose to the moment. Gov. Cox said, “𝘈𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧-𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘱, 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩, 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦.” He’s right. We desperately need to find the offramp.

Senator Bernie Sanders added: “𝘈 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺…𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 — 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴.” That’s the kind of restraint and perspective we need.

I’ll share something personal. Twice in my 12 years as a part-time local official, loved ones have told me I should stop. Why? Because public service now almost feels dangerous. Mind boggling considering 12 years ago that wasn’t the case.

𝗦𝗼, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲?

Elected officials and candidates for office need to resist cheap applause lines demonizing opponents. Stop trying to score easy political points exploiting anger. Start modeling restraint. Acknolwedge disagreements don’t erase a political opponents humanity.
We need to acknowledge that people we disagree with, even vehemently, often want to get to the same places. Safe communities, opportunities for our kids, a country that works. Right? The basics.

We need political reforms that eliminate the zero sum game. Gerrymandering hardens divisions instead of encouraging cooperation, fueling anger and mistrust. We also need to restore systemic checks and balances. The founders designed a government that moved slowly to encourage debate. We’ve drifted from that in a world of instant gratification, where the U.S. Congress has ceded too much power and Presidents of both parties lean far too heavily on executive orders. We need to again make civic education a cornerstone of K–12, so the next generation understands how our American democracy was designed to work.

We all may have different ideas on how to get there philosophically, policy etc. but that doesn’t make our neighbors enemies. Democracy depends on us debating the path forward without some clumsy zero sum game of trying to destroy, “own” or demonize each other.
Let’s take the next exit off this path. Otherwise, I’m not scared for myself. But my daughter? I’m nervous about the world we’re leaving her.

2026 County of Lehigh Budget Presentation

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This afternoon I attended the presentation of the 2026 draft County Of Lehigh budget by Executive Phil Armstrong. This is the first step in a months long budget process. The Budget now comes before the Board of Commissioners for a series of hearings and potential amendments.

At first glance, I’m supportive of the Administration’s draft budget. Executive Armstrong has presented the Board of Commissioners a no tax increase, balanced budget that maintains a healthy stabilization fund.

The proposed budget keeps key county priorities moving forward:


• Maintains a fully funded farmland preservation program.

• Completes new wing at Cedarbrook, our 5-star public nursing home.

• Funds a major bridge renovation in Washington Township and a complete replacement in Slatington.

• Provides 911 radio upgrades — receiving, programming, and distributing the new system for emergency services.


• In District 2, funds a new roof and facility upgrades at Lockridge Furnace, paving the way for future renovation and reopening for public access.

• Adding another prosecutor in the District Attorney’s Office.

• Added an 11th Judge to the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas to address the county’s increased caseload from population growth.

The budget proposal reflects a goal of living within our means as a county government. As we move forward with our budget hearings we’ll continue to scrutinize the entire 1000 page document. I would most likely oppose any amendments that increase spending — and certainly any that would require raising taxes to fund.

𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀. Holding the line on taxes is the most responsible path forward for Lehigh County. As of now it appears to be a bi-partisan effort to eliminate any fluff.

Immigration enforcement in the Courthouse. Addressing rumors and misinformation.

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📢🔍 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

First background.
Lehigh County Commissioners do not set immigration policy, including anything involving ICE. That is the Federal government. For Lehigh County residents, that means Congressman Ryan Mackenzie, Senator John Fetterman, and Senator Dave McCormick contribute to those decisions.

Federal immigration policy intersects with Lehigh County in two areas:
• Lehigh County Jail
• Lehigh County Courthouses — Main & Historic
-The Courthouse is a public facility that contains both private and public areas.

 

This post deals with the Courthouses. Courthouse policies, protocols and operations are set exclusively by the President Judge in consultation with the District Attorney and County Sheriff. This is due to provisions of the State Constitution establishing an independent judiciary.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀:

• ICE agents CAN legally make arrests in the Courthouse under applicable federal law — but only do so for people in the facility for criminal, not civil, matters.

• ICE agents do NOT wear masks in the Courthouse.

• ICE agents DO show identification.

• The County does NOT provide ICE with holding facilities in the Courthouses.

Court policy is designed to keep the Courthouse safe for hundreds of employees and visitors who use the facility daily. The President Judge and Sheriff are responsible for that safety. Specific security decisions and practices remain confidential for obvious reasons. Safety is the primary concern.

Per federal law, as a law enforcement agency, ICE is permitted to take individuals into custody in a manner laid out by federal law. (That law is NOT our jurisdiction)

**𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲: 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲** The President Judge, DA and Sheriff do not treat law enforcement agencies in the Courthouse differently based on jurisdiction. This means county and out-of-county municipal police, other county law enforcement (such as county detectives), out-of-county sheriffs, State Police, or federal agencies (such as the FBI, U.S. Marshals, Homeland Security, and ICE) are all treated the same.

𝗜𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴:
a. What is legal, based on applicable statutes and caselaw?
b. What is safe, with an emphasis on prevention being the best approach to
ensure safety?
c. What manages risk most effectively?

I agree with this criteria.

Sheriff Hanna takes his responsibility to protect nearly 1000 employees and visitors each day very seriously. It’s a duty he will not compromise on. I completely agree.

Commissioner Antonio Pineda and I independently met with the President Judge, District Attorney, Sheriff and Court Administration to fact-find — to clearly understand what, if any, role we have, to be abel to dispel any bad information out there and lastly to establish a factual starting point for any conversations other Commissioners may attempt to move forward.

 

A Model for Preservation: How Lehigh’s Partnership Program is Protecting Farmland

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In 2016, Lehigh County Commissioners launched an innovative, outside-the-box program to maximize farmland preservation funding. The program was championed in part by Percy Dougherty and former program director Jeff Zehr.

The Municipal Partnership Program encourages local communities to contribute funds, which the county then matches. This not only doubles the local investment but also increases our ability to leverage additional matching funds from the state.

This effort helped us surpass the historic milestone of preserving over 28,000 acres across more than 400 farms—and it continues to expand.

When the program began, some questioned whether individual communities would participate. Over the last nine years, I’m happy to report that the program has generated $2,434,765.29 in additional funding from partner communities.

So far, participating communities include Lower Macungie Township, Upper Macungie, Lower Milford Township, Upper Milford, North Whitehall, Whitehall, Upper Saucon, Heidelberg, and Weisenberg—resulting in an estimated $4.5 million increase in preservation funds from the state. A big thank you to these communities!

The program doesn’t buy farms outright but instead purchases conservation easements, compensating farmers and landowners for permanently restricting development to ensure the land remains in agriculture. This approach protects our farming heritage while balancing growth. Through voluntary participation and partnerships with communities and the state, Lehigh County now ranks 4th in Pennsylvania for farmland preservation—an impressive feat given that the counties ahead of us are significantly larger.

Our program gives communities flexible ways to preserve farms—whether by funding costs beyond the county’s cap, co-funding lower-ranked properties, or establishing independent preservation funds. These options protect farmland while maximizing county and state matching funds. By working together, we maximize resources to safeguard agriculture for future generations.

The program has become a model statewide, with Lehigh County Commissioners and the County Executive consistently fully funding it in recent years.

If you’re a farmer or landowner interested in preserving your land, or a municipal leader looking to get your community involved, call the Lehigh County Farmland Preservation Office at 610-336-5680 to learn more.