ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley said Thursday he intends to provide regular updates about how billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts to cut the federal government will affect local municipalities and programs.
Lehigh County gets $375 million a year in state and federal funding that it uses to pay for public safety, the Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehab facility, and services for food assistance and disabled children, among other programs, Pinsley said in a news release.
The future of much of that funding is unclear with the Musk-led U.S. Department of Government Efficiency and Republican lawmakers planning “to cut federal programs or significantly scale back their spending,” according to the controller.
Pinsley said his office will publish a series of “plain-language reports” called “Lehigh County: The DOGE Effect.”
“It’s more important than ever that Lehigh County plan for the worst and provide citizens with the transparency they need to understand the consequences of those spending cuts on our most vulnerable."Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley
The series will offer a “clear, straightforward breakdown” of the county’s finances and potential risks and options for officials with “no spin,” he said.
Pinsley’s office is to analyze how potential funding cuts would affect county-funded nursing homes, child welfare services and “other critical programs.”
'Hard choices are coming'
The series also is expected to include reports on county-owned assets and properties, and potential cost-saving measures.
Pinsley said he plans to hold town halls and briefings to ensure transparency and public engagement.
“It’s more important than ever that Lehigh County plan for the worst and provide citizens with the transparency they need to understand the consequences of those spending cuts on our most vulnerable,” Pinsley said.
“Whether you support the cuts or oppose them, one thing is certain: Pretending everything will stay the same is not a strategy."Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley
The controller said it’s his job to “identify the risk, analyze the options and ensure the public knows what’s at stake” without taking sides on political issues.
“Whether you support the cuts or oppose them, one thing is certain: Pretending everything will stay the same is not a strategy,” Pinsley said.
He warned that “hard choices are coming.”
“These aren’t decisions my office makes," Pinsley said. "But if we don’t prepare now, taxpayers won’t get a say at all.
“It’ll just be crisis management, and that’s not how government should operate.”
Lehigh County’s general budget is funded by $120 million in local property taxes and about $375 million in pass-through funding from the state and federal governments.
