Don Cunningham was sworn in for his second four-year term as Lehigh County Executive today by Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas Judge Edward Reibman in the Public Hearing Room at the Government Center.
“I stand before you now – as I stood before you four years ago – grateful for the support of my family, friends, colleagues and constituents and mindful of the incredible responsibility bestowed upon me and my administration,” said Cunningham. “No one succeeds alone and my re-election is not just affirmation of my candidacy but of the many accomplishments of my administration and the hardworking employees of Lehigh County who get the job done every day, day in and day out.”
Acknowledging that the next four years will be a challenge, Cunningham noted our economy has as remarkable ability to absorb shocks of all kinds, to recover and to continue to grow. “Our entrepreneurial tradition will help us,” he said. “So will our heritage of hard work, frugality, ingenuity and strong sense of community. But we need to be patient and flexible.”
As for his second term, Cunningham said his goals are the same as the ones he laid out in the first term: Maintain fiscal discipline to insure that people get the best government at the best price, help provide the tools to grow Lehigh County’s economy for a bright and prosperous future; invest in public safety, maintain quality of life while looking for cooperative ways to share services and find regional solutions to improve the overall efficiency of local government.
“As we look forward there is still much work to be done, but we have planned well and have many resources and partnerships to weather unforeseen challenges,” he said. “And the foundation of our prosperity has been dug deep.”
He also invited residents to submit ideas or a new solution to a county problem to him by Feb. 4, in time for the State of the County Address.
“When it comes to saving tax money and growing our economy, I have an open mind and open ears,” he said.
During this first term, when the economy was strong, Cunningham said his administration moved aggressively to get things done and now has an impressive record of repaired infrastructure, completed capital construction projects and improved public safety upon which to build his second term.
“We have been incredibly busy the past four years building a dynamic and vibrant county, one that embraces new ideas and invests wisely in building a more prosperous future,” he said.
Constructing a minor league baseball stadium for the Philadelphia Phillies’ AAA minor league Lehigh Valley IronPigs franchise, building a new state-of-the-art 9-1-1 Center, repairing and replacing many of the county’s crumbling bridges and opening the Trexler Nature Preserve to the public are just a few of the accomplishments completed during Cunningham’s first term without raising taxes.
Lehigh County is also a leader in open space preservation, energy efficiency and municipal cooperation. Nearly 20,000 acres of farmland have been preserved in Lehigh County, all of Lehigh County’s major buildings have undergone, or are scheduled to undergo, major energy savings improvements and retrofits, and, in a shining example of municipal cooperation, Lehigh County instituted a first-of-its-kind Congress of Governments for local municipalities to share ideas and foster municipal cooperation.
Cunningham also pushed through an impressive public safety agenda during his first four years. Cunningham’s “Safe Streets” program put ten police officers on the streets of Allentown, Bethlehem, Catasauqua, Fountain Hill, Macungie and Salisbury. Together in cooperation with District Attorney James Martin, Lehigh County created a Central Booking Facility and purchased advanced software for local police departments to help fight crime. Military families also received tax breaks for active-duty military personnel.
Lehigh County’s strong fiscal management was recognized nationally when the county’s’ Bond Rating was upgraded by Moody’s under Cunningham’s watch, to double A-2, even during tough economic times. Lehigh County also continues to maintain strong cash reserves.
“I am not discouraged by the challenges we face; I am energized by them,” he said. “It is not what happens to you in life that leads to your success or failure; it is how you react and respond to it. We know how to tackle a challenge and deal with challenging times. And we will do it again.”
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Cunningham started his public service career in Bethlehem when he was elected to City Council at the age of 28. Three years later he became the city’s youngest mayor in history. Days after taking office, the city lost its largest employer with the closing of Bethlehem Steel and 25 percent of its tax base. Today, Bethlehem thrives with new jobs, two retail districts and the Money magazine distinction of being one of the best 100 places to live in America. Cunningham went on to serve as a state cabinet secretary under Gov. Ed Rendell before being elected Lehigh County Executive for the first time in 2005.