Lehigh County commissioners have overridden a veto, by former County Executive Thomas Muller, of a requirement the county provide an electronic copy of the annual budget.

Before the vote at the Jan. 10 meeting, commissioners listened to Muller explain why he had vetoed the measure.

In a letter dated Dec. 21, 2017, Muller recounted some “facts worth reviewing,” including the delivery of paper copies of the budget to commissioners on the same afternoon following its official release the Thursday before Labor Day.

He said the online version had been released the morning after Labor Day.

Muller’s letter stated staff days off and retirements were contributing factors in the delay of the release of the online version.

His letter closed with the comment, “It is unfortunate that I am closing out my term in office with a veto, particularly since the administration has met the requirement in recent years voluntarily and would plan to do so in the future, but the use of legislation to address someone’s [a reference to Commissioner Amanda Holt, who had pressed for an electronic version of the annual budget] personal pique is not proper governance.”

Muller closed his personal comments to the board by describing the push for legislation by Holt as being the result of a commissioner “not getting breakfast in bed.”

Former Commissioner Michael Schware followed Muller to the podium, saying, the legislation was not the result of anyone not getting “breakfast in bed.”

Commissioner Brad Osborne expressed regret that “personalities” had been brought into the issue.

The commissioners then voted 9-0 to override the veto.

Whitehall Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr., nominee for Lehigh County director of administration, summarized his career accomplishments for the governance committee before the commissioners’ regular meeting.

Hozza was seeking the board’s approval for his proposed position.

The governance committee voted 9-0 to recommend his hiring.

A vote to approve Hozza hiring will be taken at the next commissioners’ meeting.

A non-budgeted hire of a director of information with a salary of over $67,000 by administration had the commissioners fuming.

Muller explained in an email to Holt how a $1 line item for a director of information turned into a more than $67,000 funded position.

“Simply stated,” Muller said in the email, “the public information officer position was established by taking a $1 position that was included in the adopted 2018 budget from general services with the rationale that the lack of that position over the past few years has been detrimental to the county’s commitment to transparency and citizen outreach. The balance between the $1 and the actual cost will be covered by shifts in the overall budget.”

Commissioner President Marty Nothstein summed up the board’s feelings as he addressed Josh Siegel, the administration’s hire for the job: “For $67,000 I want to see some information.

“Seriously, I want to see movement of the needle. I want people to talk – ‘Wow, a lot of information is coming out of the county! What a good investment.’”