In a single night, $800,000 in planned Lehigh County spending was stopped Monday ... part of it in Emmaus, and the rest in Easton. More spending at the school district, state and federal levels also hit a roadblock.
At the Emmaus Borough Council meeting, a planned $750,000 baseball field renovation was tabled because of rumors that Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham's new budget will freeze spending from the County's Green Futures Fund. The plan relied on a $300,000 grant from that fund, in addition to $300,000 from the East Penn School District and $100,000 from the borough. The project can come up again as early as the next council meeting.
Meanwhile, at the Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, a joint health commission composed of Northampton County Councilmen and Lehigh County Commissioners turned down a proposal to contribute $500,000 per county per year to a new $10 million per year health bureau.
The meeting (photo at left) included about 80 minutes of public comment, most of it from health care professionals who had rallied to the cause, and packed the room. Four hours after the call to order, the roll was called and the Northampton delegation voted 6-2 against, and Lehigh 3-6 in favor, with Republicans Percy Dougherty and Andy Roman joining the Democrats in the failed effort. Because both counties had to approve, the motion failed. Commissioners Dean Browning, Tom Creighton and Glenn Eckhart voted against the plan.
In addition to the $500,000 Lehigh County taxpayers were spared, other funding sources for the agency included state and federal grants...which, of course, also come from taxpayers.
LehighGOP Executive Director Scott Ott joined other citizens at a meeting of Lehigh Valley Health Commission which voted down the $10 million regional health bureau proposal. Scott told the commission that the advocates of the proposal were good, compassionate, intelligent people, and that a 'No' vote would simply say that there are good things which can be done without extending the reach and expense of government.
Meanwhile, at the Northampton County Courthouse in Easton, a joint health commission composed of Northampton County Councilmen and Lehigh County Commissioners 