Lower Macungie Township Board of Commissioners’ President Ronald W. Beitler recently announced his run for Lehigh County Commissioner in District 2.

The district includes Lower Macungie, South Whitehall and Upper Macungie townships as well as the Borough of Alburtis.

Beitler has served as a Lower Macungie Township Commissioner for two terms and as board president for the past three years.

Beitler is seeking the position with the endorsement of longtime Lehigh County Commissioner Percy Dougherty, who currently holds the seat and announced his retirement from the board in late 2020.

“Commissioner Dougherty served residents with great distinction and dedication for 28 years,” Beitler said of Dougherty. “Percy has been among the most important champions and leaders supporting farmland preservation efforts countywide for decades,” Beitler continued.

Lehigh County now has over 25,000 acres of preserved farms among counties ranking in the top five by acreage in Pennsylvania.

Beitler also serves as an appointed member of the Lehigh County Farmland Preservation Board.

In a media release announcing his candidacy Beitler noted, under his leadership, Lower Macungie Township doubled its preserved farmland including the largest preservation effort of its kind in the region’s history; the preservation of the 190-acre Weiner Farm.

In the prepared release, Dougherty praises Beitler for his work on the issue and as a commissioner.

“I’ve worked closely over the years with Ron on farmland preservation and I find him to be a very hardworking, dynamic, and intelligent person who delves into the issues with great thought and analytical skills. He is genuinely interested in the good of the community. Ron will make an excellent county commissioner.”

In addition to his work on farmland preservation, Beitler spearheaded successful efforts to reduce homeowner property taxes.

Lower Macungie Township instituted a local homestead ordinance which reduced the average homeowners property tax bill by half each year since the ordinance took effect in 2015.

The release continues, over his term, Beitler facilitated a local “Coffee with a Cop” program with Pennsylvania State Police in an effort to bring police officers and community members they serve together in an informal setting to discuss issues and learn more about each other.

Moving forward, Beitler identified the following areas of focus as a potential county commissioner in discussions with community members and stakeholders:

•Continuing Dougherty’s leadership in farmland preservation,

•Securing federal and state infrastructure funding in particular to help small boroughs like Alburtis struggling with unfunded mandates

•Supporting law enforcement

•Refocusing efforts on the opioid crisis which continues to take the lives of more than 100 Lehigh County residents a year. “Lehigh County has a robust department of drug and alcohol abuse, but I do believe legislatively there can be a refocusing on the problem at a larger scale. This is the crisis of our times,” Beitler said.

Beitler notes he will not seek reelection for Lower Macungie Township.

“I believe in term limits,” Beitler said. “Elected officials should come into office with clear goals, work to accomplish them and then move on.”

Beitler, 42, is a lifelong resident of the area and small business owner.