A Lehigh County Commissioner is proposing an ordinance that would prevent elected officials in the County from seeking higher office.

If passed, the ordinance would force any county elected official to resign their position before running for something else. Commissioner Ron Beitler already has the ordinance drafted.

“Once you file the paperwork and you’re officially a candidate, you would have to resign the position you currently have in order to run for another position,” said Beitler.

Beitler said it’s an idea he’s had for years, and it’s already in practice in places like Philadelphia’s City Council.

“It’s not stopping anyone from running for higher office, it’s simply ensuring that, while you’re in this office in Lehigh County, you’re giving that position your full, undivided attention,” said Beitler.

But we also talked with a Lehigh County elected official actually running for higher office right now: Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley, who is also a candidate for State Senate. He said a resign to run law would only hurt the County.

“Really, what this ends up doing is helping those that are wealthy, because in order to resign to run, that would mean that you wouldn’t have a job for a year, which means that you wouldn’t have healthcare,” said Pinsley.

And he said the ordinance isn’t necessary.

“If the voters think that I’m, that I shouldn’t be running, that I should be focused, well, don’t vote for me, right? That’s the easiest way,” said Pinsley.

Pinsley also pointed out that Beitler has broken his own rule in the past.

“Beitler was a Lower Macungie Commissioner, and he didn’t resign to run when he ran for Lehigh County Commissioner,” said Pinsley.

But Beitler said it’s that experience of running and serving at the same time that inspired his ordinance in-part.

“I’m well aware of how much that takes you away, so I learned from that,” said Beitler.

And he hopes his fellow board members can learn from it as well.

“I’m hopeful that the majority of my colleagues on my board see the logic in that,” said Beitler.

Beitler said he plans to introduce the proposed ordinance for the first time at Wednesday night’s Governance Committee meeting.