- Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong proposed a $520 million budget Thursday morning
- Under the proposal, the county tax rate would remain at 3.78 mills
- The average Lehigh County homeowner would owe $768.10 in county property taxes if the board of commissioners adopts the budget as proposed
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong announced Thursday morning that his proposed 2024 budget does not include a tax hike — the fifth time in his six years in office he's looked to keep taxes flat.
The $520 million budget, $119 million of which will be funded by local taxes, includes a minimum 4% wage increase for the approximately 1,000 non-union employees in the county.
Armstrong said the raises are in keeping with a pay study the Lehigh County commissioners began under his predecessor but is only now being enacted. The raises will allow the county to remain competitive in the market at a time when the rising costs of everyday items has outpaced salaries, according to the administration.
"I think in this time period, where there is a shortage of employees, we have to make sure we keep the valuable people that work here," he said.
The raises will not be a one-time thing, either. Future budgets will have room for a 3% wage hikes for non-union employees, according to his administration.
Union employees' wages will be governed by their contracts with the county,
Under his proposal, the county tax rate will remain at 3.78 mills. At that rate, the average homeowner will owe $768.10 in county property taxes next year.
County taxes have peaked at that millage rate since 2010. The 2020 tax hike rolled back a series of minor tax cuts approved by a conservative slate of commissioners in the mid-2010s.
Armstrong, a Democrat, credited the county's fiscal team with running a tight ship that's avoided tax hikes, funded the retirement fund 83% and left the county with a AA bond rating. Their foresight has helped him present a responsible budget when households are dealing with high inflation, Armstrong said.
"When we met to start this budget process, our goal was to make sure we did not to put another burden on the taxpayers of Lehigh County," Armstrong said.
Other notable items Armstrong mentioned in his budget included:
- $100.2 million for Cedarbrook, the county-owned nursing home
- $3 million for farmland preservation
- $3.6 million for the public defender's office, which is creating a pardon program for non-violent offenders next year
- $90,801 for upgrades to Coca-Cola Park as part of deal to keep the IronPigs in the region through 2052
The budget process now lies with the county commissioners, who will be tasked with approving a budget later this fall.
