Part one

“Trust in the people that are surrounding you,” Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong told attendees of his Feb. 20 State of the County Address, held at Coca-Cola Park, Allentown.

Armstrong already had the audience’s attention because he made a grand entrance to the room. Dressed in a Highlander jacket and kilt, he was escorted in by bagpipers.

A room full of community members, county employees and Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce staff supported Armstrong, who was there with his wife and family.

“We got rid of party politics. We’ve gotten along with all our municipalities. We’ve gotten along with the board (of commissioners), and we’ve gotten things done — and that’s very, very important,” Armstrong said.

His second and last term as Lehigh County executive ends this year and will conclude eight years in office.

With the help of Brittney Ciardi, the Chamber’s senior vice president for Allentown initiatives, who held topic cards for the audience’s benefit, Armstrong reviewed a substantial list of accomplishments during his past seven and half years in office.

Cedarbrook

He said Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehab has been designated a five-star facility and received national recognition.

“We have two, and in our senior home they have gotten the five-star rating,” he said. “They have been picked out by Newsweek magazine and by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best nursing homes in the state of Pennsylvania.”

He also spoke on the currently under construction E-wing project, which will increase capacity at Cedarbrook by 240 beds. It will add 145,000 square feet of floor space with four stories and accommodate 249 residents.

Public defender’s office

Armstrong touted the public defender’s Pardon Me program, saying that 111 people were accepted into the program in 2024. Armstrong said they are being matched with coaches to help them find jobs.

He said the program has a 98% success rate.

“Those people don’t end up on our tax burdens as people in our jail. It’s a great program. Our public defender’s office, besides the Pardon Me Project, gives a day — a community day — where they provide food, clothing and free legal advice to all the members of our community,” Armstrong said.

Risk management

“We said we need to bring in a new position — a risk management position — and we did,” Armstrong said.

According to documents released by Armstrong’s staff, a study was done to look for areas where Lehigh County may be over or under insured. The study included analyzing deductible limits and out-of-pocket expenses to see if they could be adjusted to reduce costs of premiums.

“I really am very proud that we have done this in our risk management,” he added.

Human resources

Armstrong said the Sparks Program supports positive attitude and relationships.

“I want people to want to come to work. I want people to enjoy working, and I want to have an atmosphere where we do this. And this department has brought in health fairs and different fun activities,” Armstrong said. “They even eat lunch with me!”

Procurement

“We make sure that if we’re shopping with the vendor, that you’re going to do the correct job. You’re going to have the correct employees to meet the standard that we want to have happen. I’m very, very proud that we do this,” he said.

Veterans affairs

“We have a fantastic [Veterans Affairs office]. Not a very large one, but a small but efficient veterans department. We want to make sure our veterans of Lehigh County get all the benefits and all the programs that are offered to them and that they are never left behind in our department. Tom Applebach does a fantastic job on making sure that happens,” Armstrong said.

Department of corrections

Armstrong said the county has contracted with Lehigh Valley Workforce Board to initiate a Linking to Employment Activities Prerelease program at Lehigh County Jail, which assists inmates to navigate the job market. He lauded a medication-assisted treatment program, which recently received a grant to aid in conducting a drug and alcohol case management program for inmates with substance abuse problems.

Armstrong said his administration initiated a community correction supervision program to help incarcerated people live in their own homes, being supervised and monitored by GPS (Global Position System).

Other achievements highlighted by Armstrong were successfully negotiating a union contract with correctional employees without having to go to arbitration; getting a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation identification program to give ID cards to inmates as part of a re-entry program, so they can more easily get identification papers upon their release; expanding the county program that lets inmates have access to the internet via tablets; starting a community action partnership board that, in cooperation with correctional department administrators, community professionals and formerly incarcerated people, can review and recommend enhancements to procedures used in the correction department; working with Muhlenberg College to create the Inside-Out program to allow students to engage with inside students in a class held inside the jail; and initiating county staff training in trauma informed care, a program facilitated by United Way.

Armstrong said Lehigh County had established a re-entry coalition to help released inmates successfully re-establish their lives once out of jail.

According to documents released at the State of Lehigh County Address, Federal Community Development Block Grant money was used to improve accessibility to sidewalks ($1,411,000) and improve safety for people with mobility challenges and for reconstruction of roads ($1,411,000).

The county used $372,000 in COVID-19 funds to buy firefighting equipment, including a rescue pumper truck for Fountain Hill; six airpacks, face masks and cylinders for Slatington; and a compressed air system and a fire interceptor vehicle for Coplay.

It also allocated $250,000 for rehabilitating affordable housing apartments.

The county spent $246,000 for the rehabilitation of sewer lines, while $102,000 went to preservation of historic properties, like the George Taylor House in Catasauqua and Mickley-Prydon Farm in Whitehall.

Armstrong said his administration created a project to help municipalities reduce blight. He said this led the county to “breath new life” into and reactivate the Lehigh County Redevelopment Authority.

The Armstrong administration disbursed more than $150,000,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, according to Armstrong.

“At a time when other similar political subdivision rushed money out the door with few controls, Lehigh County established a collaborative process that guaranteed that every dollar was awarded thoughtfully and ended up in the pockets of those most in need,” he said.

Lehigh County’s COVID-19 money was spent on the following: emergency rental assistance, $44 million; small business, $9.7 million; nonprofit grants, $33 million; and Hospitality Recovery Program Assistance, $4.1 million, which went to 114 recipients.

COVID-19 relief money went to small businesses, nonprofits, local municipalities, local education, broadband and work force development agencies. Money was also earmarked for local and regional tourism agencies and drug and alcohol and behavioral health agencies, and some went toward county expenses, such as Cedarbrook, IT, homelessness relocation expenses and administrative fees.

According to a news release distributed by county staffers, “At a time when Americans were rapidly losing by executive order, protections from discrimination that we thought were safely enshrined in law, Lehigh County moved to create a Human Relations Commission to protect the rights of all of our residents at the county level.”

Some example projects receiving COVID-19 funding were Bradbury Sullivan LGBT Community Center, to support its annual Lehigh Valley Pride Festival; Da Vinci Science Center’s annual national traveling exhibits like Land of Fire and Ice and Expedition: Dinosaurs; and Martin Luther & Corretta Scott King Memorial to assist with upgrades for its memorial and with the annual Juneteenth event.

Other projects receiving COVID-19 funding included the Allentown Band to support its annual veterans tribute and holiday concert at Symphony Hall; Allentown Police Athletic League for its youth programs including summer camp and basketball programs for kids; America on Wheels Museum to assist with seniors free admission days; Burnside Plantation; Community Bike Works; Lehigh County Historical Society; the Chamber Foundation; and Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University.

Editor’s note: See next week’s edition for part two of the State of the County Address coverage.