Lehigh County commissioners do not want the county to collect union dues for the Deputy Sheriffs' Association.

In a 7-2 vote at the board's July 10 meeting, commissioners directed the county administration to renegotiate the part of the new collective bargaining agreement requiring the county to collect union dues.

The administration will have two weeks to renegotiate with the Deputy Sheriffs' Association before the contract comes up for final passage at the July 24 commissioners meeting.

Commissioner Daniel McCarthy, one of two board members who voted against the motion, said the administration is not legally required to act on the board's request.

"It gives the sense of the board, but that's all it is," McCarthy said.

Commissioner Scott Ott made the motion to request the administration remove the provision requiring the county to collect the dues.

The motion was seconded by Commissioner Thomas Creighton.

"County government is not statutorily required to serve as the financial intermediary between the union and its members," Ott said.

Michael Lakis, who organized the deputy sheriffs union, said going back to the negotiation table would be a waste of taxpayer money.

Lakis said negotiators from the administration and the five highest paid members of the sheriff's office were locked in the room for long hours negotiating a contract instead of doing jobs they were supposed to do.

"If we go back to the table on this issue, which was negotiated many, many years ago, I believe it would be a waste of time and a waste of taxpayer money," Lakis said.

All seven of the board's Republican commissioners voted in favor of Ott's motion. The board's only Democrats, McCarthy and David Jones, voted against the motion.

Ott said he did not want his motion to impede passage of the underlying bill.