LEHIGH COUNTY, Pa. – A former Lehigh County commissioner who served the community in a variety of roles over the years has died.
Percy Dougherty passed away May 17 following a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease, his obituary stated. He was 83 years old.
He was elected to the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners in 1993 and was chosen Chairman of the Board an unprecedented six times.
Dougherty was a past president and board member of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania where he has served on a variety of committees, concentrating his efforts on land use and planning initiatives that aim to stimulate the economy while protecting valuable natural resources, the county said. He has served on CCAP’s Board of Directors and was Chairman of the Energy, Environment and Land Use Committee.
Dougherty is a member and a former chair of the Lehigh Valley Regional Planning Commission, and a former member of the Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission, the Route 222 Study Commission and the Lehigh Valley GIS Steering Committee.
He serves on the Boards of the Allentown Symphony Association, the Allentown Art Museum, the Wildlands Conservancy and was the chair of the Allentown ArtsWalk Wine Auction.