In 2005, Lehigh County reduced property taxes without making offsetting reductions in spending. This created a structural imbalance in the County’s budget that caused the spending covered by county tax dollars to increase at a rate greater than the supporting County property tax revenue. I ran for office in 2007 specifically to use my business background and experience to address this structural imbalance within the County’s budget in order to avoid or lessen the impact of any future tax increases. Since most of the County’s real estate tax dollars go to cover wages and benefits for County employees my focus has been on controlling costs in this area. I have worked to make sure that our employees are compensated at a level that is consistent with that of the taxpayers who pay the bills for the County. As a result, I’ve done the following:
• Developed a plan to slow the growth in non-union employee compensation and successfully advocated for its implementation. Before I joined the Board, non-union employees received general increases that ranged from 3% to 4% plus a step increase of 5%. For 2011, they will receive either a general increase of 2% or a step increase of 3%. One or the other – not both.
• Proposed budget amendments to freeze union wages for 2011 and to actual reduce their total pay by eliminating longevity bonuses. I then secured a veto proof margin to implement those changes beginning January 1, 2011 for agreements that covered 173 union employees.
• Used the reduced pay increases that were implemented beginning in 2009 as the basis to decrease the annual funding amount required for the County’s pension fund.
In addition, I have also worked to make sure the County remains focused on its primary responsibilities and spends taxpayer money wisely as follows:
• Proposed and successfully achieved the deferral, reduction and elimination of programs such as Green Futures, Quality of Life Grants and Regional Partnerships.
• Opposed the $1.8 million dollar renewal of the taxpayer subsidy for the Lehigh Valley Zoo.
• Opposed expansion of government that would result if we went forward with a Bi-County Health Department and introduced an ordinance for Lehigh County to withdraw from it.
• Opposed awarding County and State money to the Allentown Art Museum and recommended that money be used to increase the number of officers on the Allentown Police Force.
• Opposed using State grants to plant trees in Allentown and Lower Macungie when we need more police officers in the city.
• Stopped boondoggles like buying $200,000 townhouses for use as “affordable” housing.
• Made government more transparent and accessible by requiring campaign finance reports be posted online and by having meetings recorded and available on the internet along with complete copies of all bills and ordinances.
• Voted to stop “feel good” programs like the Quality of Life grants and use that money to put more cops on the street.
