As he wraps up his final term, Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong reflected on how county government has helped to create a safe, fun, inviting community where people want to live and companies want to do business. 

“I am proud to have been a part of so many great programs and initiatives over the past seven years,” Armstrong said during his final State of the County address on Feb. 20 at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. “But we’re not finished yet. We will continue to make announcements and move forward with ideas to improve the lives of everyone in Lehigh County over the next year.”

The exceptional quality of life in Lehigh County and across the Lehigh Valley helps to draw the talent that employers need to grow in the region's diverse, $55.7 billion economy where manufacturing is a leading driver. 

Among the accomplishments Armstrong cited was reactivating the county’s Redevelopment Authority to participate in the redevelopment of key properties such as the Iron Works in Catasauqua and the Lehigh Valley Dairy in Whitehall Township.

The county is fiscally strong, Armstrong said, with no tax increases during his term, clean audits, and a $25 million stabilization fund.

Lehigh County has supported regional planning and invested in the transportation network by renovating or replacing several bridges, Armstrong said. It improved stormwater management and sewer infrastructure, preserved historic structures, purchased new firefighting equipment for municipalities, and expanded parks and trails.

He ticked off a long list of community assets the county has financially supported, including the Allentown Band, Burnside Plantation, America on Wheels museum, county Historical Society, PA Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University, Da Vinci Science Center, Lehigh Valley Zoo, Valley Preferred Cycling Center, and Coca-Cola Park, home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Philadelphia Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate.

The farmland preservation program grew to more than 28,000 acres on more than 400 farms and the county-owned nursing home, Cedarbrook, earned and maintained a five-star rating, Armstrong said.

Armstrong is term-limited. His successor will be elected in November.

The State of the County address was hosted by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. The Presenting Sponsor was Workforce Board Lehigh Valley.