Lehigh County Executive Bill Hansell Resigns

Lehigh County Executive Bill Hansell was recently hospitalized with pneumonia and subsequently diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, according to a release from Lehigh County. Tom Muller is now acting executive.

Lehigh County Executive William H. Hansell, who was appointed last summer to fill the unexpired term of former Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham, has resigned his post for health reasons, according to a release from the county. Hansell was recently hospitalized with pneumonia and subsequently diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He has started undergoing treatment and felt he needed to devote his energy to restoring his health, the release said. “I have been proud to serve as Lehigh County Executive for the past year," Hansell said in the prepared release. "I felt that it was the culmination of my 52-year career in local government. The decision to resign has been one of the hardest I’ve had to make in my professional life.” Thomas …

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Election 2013

Browning, Ott Battle for Lehigh County GOP Vote

Political foes Scott Ott and Dean Browning seek the Republican Party nomination for Lehigh County Executive in the May 21 primary.

Two political foes—Scott Ott and Dean Browning—are seeking the Republican Party nomination for Lehigh County Executive in the May 21 primary. Ott, 51, of Lower Macungie, is currently a Lehigh County commissioner. He is co-host of a current events talk show for PJTV, a conservative online network.  Browning, 57, of South Whitehall, is former Lehigh County commissioner and board chairman. He is executive vice president, finance and administration, and chief financial officer at New World Aviation. Patch sent a questionnaire to Ott and Browning and is posting the replies in their entirety. Click on the name of the candidate to read his information, including educational and family background as well as each candidate's vision for the county …

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Tom Muller to Run For Lehigh County Executive

Democrat Tom Muller, of Lower Macungie, announced Wednesday at a press conference in Emmaus that he will run for Lehigh County's top job.

Democrat Tom Muller, the director of administration for Lehigh County, announced Wednesday that he is a candidate for Lehigh County Executive.  Muller, who held senior positions at large companies in the Lehigh Valley before moving into the public sector, is the first Democrat to enter the race. He announced his candidacy at the Triangle in Emmaus. Muller, of Lower Macungie, has been the county's director of administration for seven years, serving with former county Executive Don Cunningham to manage a $400 million budget and 12 negotiations with collective bargaining units, according to a prepared release. He has 40 years of experience in the private sector, including as president and chief operating officer for Binney & Smith—now Crayola…

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Tom Muller Statement: Why I am Running for Lehigh County Executive

Democrat Tom Muller, of Lower Macungie, announced Wednesday that he will run for Lehigh County's top job.

The following is Tom Muller's campaign announcement for Lehigh County Executive: February 6, 2013 Triangle Park, Emmaus Lehigh County, Pennsylvania   Good Afternoon. My name is Tom Muller, and I am a Democrat running for Lehigh County Executive.  My wife and I moved to the Lehigh Valley twenty-three years ago.  What we found was a close-knit community where common sense prevailed and we’ve built our life here with two wonderful kids.  My extraordinary wife, MJ, is deeply immersed in the Valley—running the St. Thomas More School kitchen, where she feeds 600 people each day, and getting a women’s shelter she launched last year through its first year and well-funded for the future.  Our son is a freshman at Wake Forest University and our 6th …

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Court Workers, Cedarbrook Aides May Get Raises

Proposed Lehigh County contracts would grant 2-3 percent increases and require employees to pitch in more for health care.

Cedarbrook nurses aides and maintenance workers are on tap to get a 2 percent wage hike and court workers might also get 2-3 percent increases this year if Lehigh County commissioners approve contracts negotiated by the administration. In 2012 and 2013, the 3-year contract would give the county nursing home staff (excluding nurses, who negotiate separately) a general wage increase of 2 percent or a step increase of 3 percent, but not both, according to Tom Muller, county director of administration, who negotiated the contracts. The workers eligible for longevity pay, which are bonuses ranging from $200 to $1,600 after five years of employment, would get half their amount in 2011 and the full amount in 2012 and 2013. The pact affects 416 …

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