Percy Dougherty - Lehigh County Commissioner

Dougherty Blasts State Budget Impasse

2009-08-18T00:44:00.000-07:00

The following is an extract of the post by Bernie O'Hare to his blog, "Lehigh Valley Ramblings" dated Thursday, August 13th. It is reproduced here with permission of Bernie O'Hare.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

LC Comm'r Chair Dougherty Blasts State Budget Impasse

Gloria Hamm has oxygen tubes running up her nose, and Sterling Raber's arm is in a sling after breaking his collarbone last week. They both had pretty good excuses to take a summer's night off, but they were still present at last night's fifty-minute meeting of Lehigh County Commissioners. After listening to a spirited address by Chairman Percy Dougherty, they may be preparing for war against ineffectual legislators in the land of midnight payraises.

One of the items considered was a proposed grant of about $100 thousand to an alphabet soup of nonprofits for participation in Lehigh County's "MORE for Children" program. As explained by sponsor Dan McCarthy, this is a program administered through the school districts, for field trips to places like Lehigh Valley Zoo and Allentown Art Museum. Hotel tax, and not real estate revenue, is used to fund this grant.

Although Dougherty supports this "very important" initiative, he notes that "[i]t doesn't appear like there's going to be speedy conclusion" to Harrisburg's state budget gridlock. He claimed everyone, from Governor Rendell to legislators from both parties, are at fault.

"This is probably the largest pending disaster that I have seen for the County since I have been a County Commissioner." Having just returned from a CCAP conference, he then explained how other counties are preparing.

"Some of the counties are already putting into effect programs where they're cutting back on staffing, where they're starting to cut programs, and for want of a better term, they're putting into effect triage types of systems. So by a certain date, if we do not have a budget, they are going to start to cut programs, and these are programs that most of us consider absolutely necessary. ... We are going to have to look at this very carefully if there's not a budget solution soon."

Commissioners throughout the counties are even thinking "that if the legislators don't come up with a solution, that county commissioners from every county declare that they're going to run against the elected officials in Harrisburg so that we can get something done. It's getting nasty out there."

You can see Dougherty's video here. Careful! It's hot!

Meanwhile, over in the People's Republic of Northampton County, where County Exec John Stoffa runs around flipping off light switches, Finance Chair Lamont McClure has no worries. He's conducted just four budget meetings this year, half the usual number for previous years.

Labels: budget, Lehigh County, Northampton County, Percy Dougherty

County leaders plead for help from lawmakers

2009-05-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

Article appeared in the Morning Call
Friday, May 22, 2009
By Lauren Boyer

    Harrisburg - County Commissioners warned state lawmakers again Thursday they'll be forced to cut services and boost taxes without more help from the General Assembly this budget season.
    Their target this time: a $27.3 billion budget plan backed by Senate Republicans that they say could have a devastating effect on such programs as child care, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, and mental health programs.
    "If you have only one source of income - a property tax - it highly limits you," Lehigh County Commissioner Percy Dougherty told the House Appropriations Committee as it kicked off two days of hearings on the Senate GOP budget. "We're in a growth period, and we need money to keep that growth continuing."
    The Senate proposal would cut spending by 4 percent. Rendell and House Democrats are pushing a $29 billion budget that increases spending on economic development and education while cutting elsewhere.
    Dougherty was joined by commissioners from Chester, Dauphin, Monroe and Somerset counties, who argued against further cuts to
strained human services budgets.
    The "deep and wide" cuts predicted by Somerset County Commissioner Pam Tokar Ickes includes the proposed elimination of mental health services for 4,000 Pennsylvanians.
    The commissioners argued that, if passed, the Senate GOP budget would force counties to cut spending or raise property taxes.
    "We're going to be tarred and feathered and sent out of town," Dougherty said. "That's basically the bottom line."
    About 25 percent of Lehigh County's budget is funded by property taxes, Dougherty said, citing a need for alternative revenue sources.
    Gov. Ed Rendell has proposed allowing counties to raise their local sales tax by one percent as long as the money is used to reduce property taxes. Dougherty said groups in Lehigh County have endorsed the sales tax increase over higher property taxes.
    A Senate Republican spokesman defended the caucus proposed budget, but said the GOP was open to suggestions. Democrats control the House and governor's office, making compromise likely.

Percy Dougherty Seeks Re-election

2009-03-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

Percy Dougherty seeks re-election to Lehigh County Council
By Darryl Isherwood Of The Morning Call
March 3, 2009

Lehigh County District 2 Commissioner Percy Dougherty has formally announced his re-election bid. Dougherty, a Republican and chairman of the nine-member board, said he would like to continue to serve the residents of District 2, which covers Emmaus, Macungie, Alburtis, Lower Macungie, Upper Macungie and most of South Whitehall. "Nothing occurs quickly in the political world and I have many projects on which I am still working," Dougherty said Friday in announcing his bid for a fifth term. "Every day brings new challenges and exciting opportunities."

Dougherty, a retired professor of environmental, geology and geography studies at Kutztown University, will face a primary challenge from East Penn School Board member Mark Prinzinger.

Prinzinger said he has decided to run because he is uncomfortable with how the present government has spent taxpayer money. But Dougherty has the support of county party officials, who have warned Prinzinger against running and told the former Kutztown University student they do not support his bid. In his formal announcement, Dougherty acknowledged Prinzinger, without mentioning him by name. "Because I am retired from teaching, I have the time and energy to devote to being a commissioner compared to my young, inexperienced opponent," he said.