The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners are not happy with the town hall public meeting hosted by Lehigh County Executive Tom Muller Feb. 10 at Muhlenberg College.

Commissioners at the Feb. 12 meeting argued the public meeting was intended to garner support for the proposed $140 million Hamilton Crossings shopping complex in Lower Macungie Township. They also questioned the cost of the meeting to taxpayers.

The board again expressed their disapproval for financing the project with taxpayer dollars.

Commissioner Vic Mazziotti said the meeting should not have been held since the item was not before the board for discussion.

"It was an awkward situation to have a public meeting on a subject that is not on the board's agenda and that we've already rejected," he said. "We can change our minds with more information but I have not seen any more information."

Commissioner Percy Dougherty, who initially advocated for Tax Increment Financing for the site, said he is most concerned with the shopping center bringing more traffic in to the area.

"This [traffic] is probably the single factor that made us really reconsider how we were going to vote on that," he said.

Dougherty said the county should not consider revamping the traffic patterns until the interchange and overpass are constructed to accommodate for the shopping complex.

Commissioner Brad Osborne said he is receptive to ideas as to the shopping complex. Osborne, however, said he is still awaiting a valid argument for financing the project via public funds.