ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong has vetoed a planned pay raise for several row officers in county government.
The positions affected are the clerk of judicial records, the county’s sheriff and coroner, as well as the county controller.
Armstrong also was in line for a raise, but he vetoed that as well.
- Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong has vetoed a pair of bills that would have increased the salaries of five municipal officers -- including himself
- Other offices affected are the clerk of judicial records, the county’s sheriff, coroner and controller
- Armstong noted the increases would have cost about 25 cents per taxpayer
“I believe that there is a big difference between the paid professionals who run the county and the elected officials who oversee them," Armstrong said in a statement announcing his veto.
"It’s important that our managers and employees who make the county operate every day should be compensated fairly. But in my opinion, our elected public servants are in a different category.”
The pair of bills that Armstrong vetoed would have raised salaries for the row positions to nearly $100,000 each by 2027. Salaries for these roles now are about $73,000 a year.
The county executive’s salary would have been bumped up to more than $123,000 a year by 2029.
Armstrong noted that county commissioners calculated the increases would cost about 25 cent per taxpayer.
“I cannot in good conscience sign onto these two pieces of legislation,” Armstrong said.
“There is just simply no way on earth that I can justify increasing the salary of my own office by a third when so many of our residents are struggling."Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong
However, Armstrong noted that he understood the intent of the legislation as a way to attract qualified candidates to these positions with an “attractive wage.”
“There is just simply no way on earth that I can justify increasing the salary of my own office by a third when so many of our residents are struggling,” the county executive said.
When the bills originally were brought before the county’s board, Commissioner Ron Beitler took to social media to argue against the proposed increases.
“These salaries already currently pay more than a comfortable living wage above the median income for the County," Beitler wrote.
"And in my opinion there ought to be some sort of notion that elected public service comes with some sacrifice. In this case in the form of leaving some earning potential on the table. I want folks running for these positions of public trust with unimpeachable motivation to serve,” Beitler wrote on social media.
