Public campaign funding and clean elections
As part of the 2027 budget proposal, County Executive Josh Siegel requested $500,000 for a “Clean Elections” public campaign-matching fund described as the first of its kind in Pennsylvania, intended to match small donations and reduce big-money influence. The initiative faced strong scrutiny and opposition at budget hearings from commissioners and the public as an inappropriate use of taxpayer money for politics, competing with other fiscal priorities amid the proposed tax hike and deficit concerns.
Should Lehigh County create a public matching fund for local election campaigns?
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Sources
The Morning Call — https://www.mcall.com/2026/09/03/josh-siegels-initiatives-scrutinized-at-lehigh-county-budget-hearing-after-proposed-17-tax-hike/
$500k each for a “Clean Elections” public campaign-matching fund (first of its kind in PA; criticized as using taxpayer money for politics)
Positions on this issue · liberal → conservative
- Fully fund and expand public matching for all local candidates to eliminate private big-money influence
- Approve the $500k Clean Elections matching pilot to amplify small donors and limit special-interest cash
- Study public financing further but delay any taxpayer appropriation until the deficit is resolved
- Reject public matching funds and keep campaigns privately financed with existing disclosure rules
- Ban any public money for campaigns and tighten limits only on private donations and independent spending