ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners adopted the 2027 county budget on first reading Wednesday night at the government center. The budget offers nearly a 17% tax increase on property owners.
County Executive Joshua Siegel’s original spending plan featured a nearly 18% tax increase on property owners. This translated to a millage rate increase from 3.78 to 4.45.
Siegel said he didn’t ask Lehigh County taxpayers “for a penny more than was needed” during a statement Wednesday night.
Commissioners collectively proposed 11 amendments to Siegel’s budget. A total of about $1.4 million in reductions were made Wednesday night, reducing the millage rate increase from the proposed 4.45 to 4.41.
Some of the changes in those amendments included:
Cutting a proposed chief of staff position where the individual would receive a $133,020 in salary and benefits. The vote was 7-2.
Cutting a proposed communications director position paying the person $129,409 in salary and benefits. The vote was 7-2.
Cutting a new human resources generalist position worth $98,105. The vote was 7-2.
Cutting a proposed entitled “clean election grant initiative” which would have allocated $500,000 in taxpayer money to fund political campaigns. The vote was unanimous.
Changing funding sources for open space purposes from the gaming budget totaling $500,000. The vote was unanimous.
Decreasing the other specialized services operating budget line item by $20,000. The vote was unanimous.
Decreasing the part-time personnel operating budget line item by $11,500. The vote was unanimous.
Transferring from the county’s opioid settlement fund for the public defender’s full-time personnel line item in the budget, worth $108, 151. The vote was unanimous.
The budget will have its second reading Oct. 28.
Budget challenges
Siegel blamed the increase primarily on decisions made prior to his tenure and costs out of his administration’s control. The tax increase will allow the county to spend money on services residents need and also to address fiscally negative trends, he said.
The administration said the county’s tax revenue has been almost flat since 2011. To make matters more challenging, Lehigh County’s expenditures have outpaced revenue since 2018. From 2018 through 2026, revenue growth has increased 12% while expenditures increased 28%.
If approved, Lehigh County’s proposed 18% property tax increase for 2027 would hit homeowners, and the costs could get passed down to renters.
The county’s fund balance needs to be reestablished with a $5 million contribution to restore its reserves and provide stability.
One of the increased expenses in the 2027 spending plan involves healthcare costs, which the administration said feature a 11.8% annual projected hike.
The 2027 proposed budget also addresses pay hikes and pension payments. These include a 3% salary increase for non-union employees, a $21 million contribution to the county pension plan, and a $6.7 million increase to pay for operating departmental increases.
Siegel’s budget calls also for spending $5 million to address a shortfall for Cedarbrook Nursing Home.
Additional requests involve the addition of a driver’s license monitoring system for monitoring employee driving records, budgeting for Lehigh County membership in the International City/County Management Association along with attendance at the organization’s annual conference, and an employee engagement and appreciation program.