The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners is prepared to resort to the state's open records law to force the administration to produce budget information.

The board at the March 12 meeting discussed the possibility of using the state law or issuing a subpoena to obtain budget information they allege they have been denied.

"If that's where we have to go, that's where we're going to head," board member Michael Schware said.

According to Schware, the board previously requested financial information, of which it has been denied.

"This is not a Democrat or Republican thing," Schware stressed. "It's not a board or executive thing. It's a transparency thing."

Director of the Community and Economic Development Department Frank Kane told the board county Executive Tom Muller and Dan McCarthy, director of administration, were unable to attend the meeting.

Kane, however, said the administration will provide budget data by March 25.

Allentown resident Joe Hilliard asked the board why there was so much secrecy surrounding budget information.

Commissioner Vic Mazziotti said Muller indicated in his March 5 speech county residents will see no tax increase in 2016. "Two weeks later we're told that information is not available," Mazziotti said.

The board requested a summary of the budget information before March 25 so they can review data and ask appropriate questions. Kane reinforced Muller will provide the information by March 25.

In other business, the board approved Macungie resident Brian Nagle's reappointment to the Lehigh County Authority Board. The reappointment comes just two weeks after the board voted 6-3 to not reappoint him.

The reappointment came on the heals of a deal bartered between Muller and the board stipulating the board agrees to appoint Nagle in exchange for filling another vacancy with a candidate the commissioners approve.

Commissioner Lisa Scheller said Muller has the legal authority to renominate Nagle.

"The executive and I agreed that he would renominate Mr. Nagle as his appointee," she said.

Nagle had served on the LCA board since March 2009. His new term expires Dec. 31, 2019.

"I do support this nomination," Scheller added.