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Taxes

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County property taxes and structural deficit

Lehigh County faces recurring budget shortfalls and a structural deficit. The adopted 2026 budget held the property tax rate flat at 3.78 mills while relying on state/federal funds and drawdowns from the stabilization fund amid prolonged state budget delays. County Executive Josh Siegel later proposed a roughly 17-18% property tax increase (to about 4.45 mills) for a 2027 budget near $562 million to cover rising personnel, healthcare, pension, and Cedarbrook nursing home costs, rebuild reserves, and avoid deeper service cuts. Alternatives discussed include studying a local option sales tax and cost-cutting measures; public hearings have been contentious over tax burdens versus service needs.

Should Lehigh County raise property taxes to close its structural deficit and fund county services?

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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/
Josh Siegel’s initiatives scrutinized at Lehigh County budget hearing after proposed 17% tax hike
WFMZ — https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/lehigh-county/lehigh-county-adopts-538-5m-budget-discusses-loan-amid-state-budget-gridlock/article_2080216f-7313-4733-abb8-e83633870c07.html
Lehigh County adopts $538.5M budget, discusses loan amid state budget gridlock
Lehigh Daily — https://lehighdaily.com/josh-siegel-proposes-sales-tax-study-homelessness-emergency-ice-limits-in-state-of-the-county-address/
Josh Siegel proposes sales tax study, homelessness emergency, ICE limits in State of the County address
Positions on this issue  ·  liberal → conservative
  1. Support large tax hikes plus new progressive revenue to fully fund services and rebuild reserves now
  2. Approve a substantial property tax increase to cover deficits, pensions, and human services without deep cuts
  3. Allow a modest tax rise only after independent audits and clear vacancy/spending freezes
  4. Hold the millage flat and require deeper cuts, deferred hiring, and fund drawdowns instead of hikes
  5. Reject any tax increase, cut non-essential programs, and prioritize long-term tax relief for residents

Local option sales tax for revenue diversification

Amid property-tax pressure and structural deficits, County Executive Josh Siegel proposed studying a 1% local option sales tax modeled on Allegheny County. The goal would be to diversify county revenue sources, potentially ease long-term reliance on property taxes, and help stabilize finances without sole dependence on millage hikes, while affordability concerns for residents remain central to the debate.

Should Lehigh County pursue a local option sales tax to diversify revenue and ease property taxes?

Tap a point along the line below to show where you stand.

How important is this to you?

Sources

Lehigh Daily / Josh Siegel — https://lehighdaily.com/josh-siegel-proposes-sales-tax-study-homelessness-emergency-ice-limits-in-state-of-the-county-address/
Josh Siegel proposes sales tax study, homelessness emergency, ICE limits in State of the County address
The Morning Call — https://www.mcall.com/2026/09/03/josh-siegels-initiatives-scrutinized-at-lehigh-county-budget-hearing-after-proposed-17-tax-hike/
Other ideas: Studying a 1% local option sales tax (modeled on Allegheny County) to diversify revenue
Positions on this issue  ·  liberal → conservative
  1. Enact a local sales tax quickly and dedicate proceeds to housing, transit, and progressive services
  2. Study and adopt a 1% local option sales tax to diversify revenue and reduce property-tax pressure
  3. Research a sales-tax option thoroughly but enact only with strong voter approval and property-tax offsets
  4. Reject new sales taxes and instead cut spending to avoid any additional tax burden on residents
  5. Oppose all new local taxes including sales taxes and prioritize permanent property-tax reductions