That didn't take long. Conservative and tea party darling Scott Ott announced his bid for Lehigh County Executive on Thursday. But another Republican, Dean Browning, has just announced that he's running, too. Citing over three decades as a private sector, business executive in Lehigh County and his legislative experience as former Chairman of the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners, Browning states he is the candidate best prepared to manage and reform Lehigh County’s $360 million budget and 2,000 plus employees.
"I don’t believe compromise and bipartisanship are dirty words,” said Browning, a resident of South Whitehall Township for 26 years, a Lehigh County taxpayer and homeowner for over 30 years, and former Chairman of the Lehigh County Republican Committee.
Browning states that although the role of County Executive requires a candidate who is principled, he shouldn’t view every decision through the narrow lens of their own partisan political ideology.
“Lehigh County is home to 350,000 diverse citizens, who hold different political affiliations and beliefs. The one thing that unites us is that we’re all striving for a more prosperous life for our families and ourselves,” says Browning. “I’m running for Lehigh County Executive with a plan to reform county government so we can balance our budget, foster local job creation and reduce the tax burden, while still providing valuable services for our seniors and support for families that have children with special needs, keeping our neighborhoods and schools safe, and maintaining the local parks, ball fields, open space and bridges that enhance our quality of life and make Lehigh County a great place to live and work.”
In a statement, he outlines four goals.
1. Balance the Budget
Dean will enact spending reforms that balance the county budget, while pursuing responsible tax cuts that don’t add to the deficit, like was done this year.
Browning will link county spending and wages directly to the rate of economic growth in the county, and end the practice of letting spending exceed revenue.
2. Rein in Spending the Right Way
In contrast to taking a battle axe and hacking away $5 million set aside for personnel, Dean will instead implement the findings of a 2011 comprehensive review of county government 2011 that he co-directed, which identifies specific programs and services mandated by the state and those that can be improved, reduced, eliminated or privatized.
Browning will empower Lehigh County taxpayers and voters to approve or reject new county borrowing for large capital projects.
3. Make Lehigh County an Economic Leader
Dean will establish a roundtable of county business leaders and educators to develop and implement a sorely needed strategic vision and plan that develops a skilled workforce and makes Lehigh County a destination for job creators.
Browning will make science and technology and work force development an educational priority so county students are prepared to compete for the jobs of the 21st century, while actively engaging companies and entrepreneurs around the country looking for a place to settle and create jobs and sell them on the benefits of Lehigh County.
4. Enact Term Limits for all County Politicians
Dean is greatly disappointed that the current Board of Commissioners refuses to give county residents the right to enact term limits for all county politicians, despite widespread support for such measures nationally.
Browning will resurrect a plan to put a referendum on the ballot giving voters the ability to limit county politicians to just two, 4-year terms.
Browning also directly confronted the controversial budget showdown that led to his primary defeat two years ago, and said while he hopes for a debate about Lehigh County’s future in the campaign ahead, he expects his primary opponent to dredge up the same misleading attacks again.
“The facts are clear: I never voted for a budget that increased property taxes – and that statement is beyond dispute,” said Browning. “What I did do was vote to reject a Washington, DC-style budget gimmick that even its supporters admitted was all about partisan politics. Unlike them, I just don’t believe it’s ‘conservative’ to call for spending cuts without having the courage to identify what you would actually cut; and I don’t believe it’s ‘conservative’ to pay for tax cuts by driving up the deficit.”
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