The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners struck down an amendment that would have awarded benefits to same sex couples employed by Lehigh County at the Nov. 11 meeting.

Commissioner Vic Mazziotti said he could not support the amendment because the state of Pennsylvania does not recognize same sex marriage. He also said his Catholic background prevents him from supporting benefits to same sex couples.

"I'm a Catholic," Mazziotti said. "If I were to agree with this, I would be condoning the act."

District Attorney Jim Martin, who is also Catholic, said voting in favor of the amendment is the right thing to do.

"I think it should be instead viewed as a matter of fairness and equality to our employees," Martin said.

County Executive Matthew Croslis echoed Martin's comment, saying supporting Croslis' veto would be a step forward in preventing discrimination within Lehigh County.

"I'm a practicing Catholic as well," Croslis said. "My children go to Catholic school. Our policy discriminates."

Commissioners David Jones Sr. and Daniel McCarthy voted in favor of granting benefits to same sex couples.

The commissioners also failed to pass an amendment pulling funding from the regional crime center.

The center, according to Martin, has helped solve three homicides in the Lehigh Valley to date.

Mazziotti said it is difficult to support the regional crime center when its operation costs have increased by 50 percent.

Martin told Mazziotti the regional crime center was never envisioned to be operated by a single employee, as the commissioners believe, but by a team of experts.

"I hate to see costs going up, but I'd also hate to see crime going up," Commissioner Percy Dougherty said. "There is so much potential in this."

McCarthy said the program aids the county in helping keep the public safe, which is one of the primary responsibilities of the board, he said.

Jones said voting against the regional crime center would send a message the commissioners do not support the work the center does.

Voting against overriding the veto were Jones, Dougherty and McCarthy.

The commissioners also voted and approved to restore the 10 percent cut to information technology originally sought by the commissioners.

Commissioners President Lisa Scheller said the county is in a precarious financial position. She said if the county continues with its current levels of spending, the tax increase for 2015 could range from 25 to 35 percent.

"This budget puts our reserves at very low levels," she said. "In my mind, this is not how you attract businesses or people," she said.

"We have to start moving in the right direction," she added.

The commissioners will hold its next meeting 7:30 p.m. Nov. 26 in the public hearing room of the Lehigh County Government Center, 17 S. Seventh St., Allentown.