A proposed budget amendment by Commissioner Dave Harrington to reduce the staffing budget of the district attorney’s office brought out strong emotions on the effectiveness of the office itself at the Oct. 12 Lehigh County Commissioners meeting.

District Attorney James Martin found himself both defending his record of nearly 25 years in this current position, as well as the work of his staff, in helping the victims of crime in the Lehigh Valley.

Martin took the microphone twice, raising the range of issues from the opioid crisis, domestic violence and the homicides which his office deals with on a daily basis. One of the examples Martin gave as a program his office has worked hard on with positive results is Mental Illness Substance Abuse.

Among those voicing their support for Martin and his office were Commissioner Zakiya Smalls and Commissioner Antonio Pineda who both praised the work of the DA’s office in helping support victims’ rights.

A handful of residents spoke out against the DA’s office record on these issues. However, Martin’s passionate argument was enough to convince most commissioners to defeat the proposed amendment by a vote of 8-1.

The second proposed amendment, again sponsored by Harrington, focused on adding funding “for legal or other direct support in stopping evictions for families with children.” The amendment passed unanimously.

The other major issue of the night was the agreement to provide $3 million funding for Coca-Cola Park. An initial $2.3 million is to be provided to the IronPigs, with $700,000 to be provided at a later date.

Although the motion passed unanimously, some thoughts on the pros and cons of this situation were raised by some commissioners. Commissioner Ron Beitler expressed concerns “major league baseball will continue to keep communities hostage.” He further said, “I don’t relish the thought of sending this money.”

His colleague Commissioner Bob Elbich spoke about the fine balance of the situation and how as commissioners, they are representatives of the county who own Coca-Cola Park.

Two appointments of note: Jill Pittenger is the new human resources director and Pineda has been appointed to the Lehigh County Conservation District for a term ending Dec. 31, 2022.

The next scheduled meeting of the Lehigh County Commissioners is Oct. 26.