Lehigh County Commissioners approved the 2019-2023 Capital Plan at its Aug. 8 meeting. The plan sets the investment in capital projects through 2023.

Commissioner Dr. Percy Dougherty sponsored the plan. He said the $129.1 million plan is higher than previous years because it contains about $73 million for the planned Cedarbrook renovation.

In other business, the commissioners reappointed William McQuilken, of Lynn Township to the Lehigh County Drug and Alcohol Abuse Board.

Lehigh County Executive Philips Armstrong spoke to the commissioners in support of his proposed $5 per vehicle per year registration fee which he described as the price of a cup of coffee. He said he would give up a cup of coffee to ensure the county has safe bridges and roads.

Armstrong said the fee, combined with an expected state subsidy of $2 million, will help the county and its political subdivisions repair infrastructure. He said during his visits to Lehigh County’s city and township meetings over the past six months, he has heard people at most of those meetings ask him, “When will a particular road or bridge be repaired?”

Armstrong said Lehigh County has 13 bridges considered to be deficient. He said the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO and President, Tony Iannelli considers good infrastructure to be essential for local commerce.

He emphasized if a citizen who owns a car and makes less than $19,200 annual income, that person will not have to pay this fee. If a citizen does not own a car, that citizen will not pay the fee.

Armstrong said the fee, “not a tax,” will raise about $1.5 million per year for the county.

“It will require a sacrifice from everyone who owns a car,” Armstrong said. “They are going to have to buy one less cup of Starbucks coffee per year.”