Lehigh County capital plan for 2023-27 gets unanimous vote

Lehigh County commissioners voted to prioritize investing in excess of $140 million on advancement tasks around the following five yrs for the duration of a Wednesday assembly, a program that will probably come with a long run tax hike.

The board voted unanimously for the motion with little discussion.

The assignments are part of Lehigh County’s 2023-27 cash plan, a 5-calendar year directional approach. However it consists of quantities the jobs are anticipated to value, it should not be perplexed with a funds, in which the county allocates money in 1-year paying options. However, all those budgets could reflect the capital prepare priorities, county Common Providers Director Rick Molchany explained.

“I asked the division heads to glance forward, not just 5 years forward, but to appear way in advance so we can begin to anticipate substantial investing and money scheduling for you as you’re creating your tax approaches,” Molchany informed officers July 6.

Cedarbrook nursing residence in South Whitehall Township would be in line for $31 million a lot more of rehabilitation get the job done underneath the paying priorities. Also on the record are upgrades to the 911 communications procedure, farmland preservation and far more bridge repairs:

• The program would update what is now an analog 911 radio system for the county to a fully digital one. The projected cost is $46 million. This modify would most likely go into impact by 2025, if authorized.
• The strategy dedicates $14.5 million to farmland preservation, helping guard against continued warehouse advancement in the county. To date, almost 27,000 acres of Lehigh County farmland and 381 farms have been preserved. The county desires to protected 2,000 acres above the up coming five several years.
• County-owned bridges would receive practically $9 million in upkeep or small rehabilitation around the upcoming many several years to preserve them open.

To satisfy the demands of its projects, the county would possible will need to elevate taxes roughly each individual 10 a long time, Molchany mentioned, while unknowns these kinds of as probable task delays make it difficult to identify when taxes could be lifted and by how a great deal.

For the duration of the first looking through of the adoption July 13, Commissioner Jeffrey Dutt stated: “I consider these desires that ended up stated in the Money Strategy are really needed, and I enjoy the function that we have to do [with the projects].”