Salisbury's Glenn Eckhart loses bid to lead Lehigh County Commissioners

Lehigh County Commissioner Dean Browning was re-elected  commissioners chairman Monday night after surviving a challenge from fellow Republican Glenn Eckhart of Salisbury Township.

Browning pledged to increase opportunities for the commissioners to be involved in the budget process early on to avoid a last minute political fight like the one that erupted in October leading up to a 16 percent tax increase. It was Browning's vote for that 2011 budget that earned him the ire of tea party activists and some Republicans who backed a maneuver by Eckhart to scrap the tax hike and send the budget back to County Executive Don Cunningham for steep cuts.

In an effort to avoid repeating the October showdown, commissioners have to make suggestions of spending cuts as the budget is being drafted, Browning said.

"The fact of the matter is that once we receive the budget at the end of August, beginning of September, it's already pretty much a done deal," he said. "The thought now is that we become involved early on so we take part in shaping the finished product."

He said he'd nominate Commissioner William Hansell, a Democrat, to lead the administrative committee and be liaison to the county administration on the budget. Hansell has decades of experience in municipal government, including as former Catasauqua Borough manager, South Whitehall Township manager and City of Allentown administrator.

Eckhart agreed on the need for early budget involvement and on Hansell's value as a liaison. He said he'd also work with Commissioners Percy Dougherty and David S. Jones Sr. on changes they'd like to see in the county's home rule charter.

Both Browning and Eckhart vowed to forego the $1,000 raise they were entitled to as chairman on top of the annual stipend of $5,500 they receive as commissioners.

In nominating Eckhart for chairman, Commissioner Andy Roman praised his experience as a Salisbury Township commissioner and school board member. "I think we need to go back to that tradition of rotating the gavel," Roman said, adding that it would help unify the commissioners by putting them on a more equal footing. 

Roman also pointed out that Browning is up for reelection in 2011.  "I don't think the chairman should be the chairman of the board and running for relection at the same time," he said.

Neither Roman nor Eckhart mentioned Browning's budget vote as a reason to strip him of the chairman's position. But Commissioner Gloria Hamm blamed the move on politics. "This has just becoming such a dog eat dog fight," Hamm said. "I've lived in Lehigh County all my life, and I've never seen this. This is a complete embarrassment."

Asked later what she meant, Hamm said, "They're against Dean because he voted for the budget." 

That was after Allentown tea party activist Joe Hilliard told Browning that he is perceived as the "fifth Democratic vote" on the board.

After the meeting, Browning said he didn't know about any pressure put on other Republican commissioners to vote against him.

The vote was 6-3 with Browning voting for himself along with  Republicans Dougherty and Thomas Creighton III and Democrats Hamm, Hansell and Daniel McCarthy. Eckhart voted for himself and was joined by Roman and Jones, a Democrat.

Hansell was elected vice chairman over Roman by a vote of 5-4.

Commissioners set their meeting dates for the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month with exceptions in November and December.