Lehigh County is improving the quality of life for its residents, spending tax dollars wisely, and supporting local businesses, County Executive Phillips Armstrong said at his annual State of the County address.

Armstrong spoke to about 100 Lehigh Valley business leaders, public officials, and others at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown on Feb. 22. The event was put on by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. 

Armstrong said the county passed a balanced budget without increasing taxes because of the bipartisan commitment of the Board of Commissioners. He said the county, with assistance from the Chamber of Commerce, gave $10 million in grants to small businesses.

“We need to help our small businesses, we need to keep supporting them,” Armstrong said. “We need to understand how they are so important to our economy here.”

Additional farmland was preserved, bringing the total of preserved farms to nearly 400, the fourth-most in Pennsylvania, he said. And the county is creating a housing equity plan to address housing needs.

Public safety was improved with the addition of a new service to the county’s 911 system where dispatchers can better assess emergency situations by getting a live video feed through callers’ cell phones, with their permission.

“Somebody is doing CPR … show us. We can see now what you're doing,” Armstrong said.

He touted the reconstruction of a key bridge in Allentown; the renovation of the old county courthouse to preserve its history; additional funding for mental health and opioid addiction programs; and the ongoing expansion of the country-run nursing home to ensure aging residents in need have a place to be cared for.

“We're going to always support those people, those people who were our people, who worked in our plants, in our factories, in our restaurants,” Armstrong said. “And now they need our help. And we're not going to bail on them. We're going to keep it up. So, I'm real proud that we're doing that.”

Armstrong said Lehigh County’s strength stems from all the individuals and organizations that work together.

He cited the Chamber of Commerce; Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC); Lehigh Valley Planning Commission; Lehigh Valley International Airport; Workforce Board Lehigh Valley; Discover Lehigh Valley®; Lehigh Valley IronPigs; Lehigh Valley Phantoms; ArtsQuest; Wildlands Conservancy; Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority; labor leaders including Paul Anthony of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 375, who is on the Board of Directors of LVEDC, and Jim Irwin of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 542, who is President of the Lehigh Valley Labor Council; U.S. Sen. Bob Casey; U.S. Rep. Susan Wild; the region’s state legislators; municipal officials; and the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners and the county administrators.

“What do we have that everybody should be studying? Well, what do we have? We have you, everybody in this room,” Armstrong said.