Lehigh County Commissioner Brown resigns to focus on career
Lehigh County Commissioner Nathan Brown tendered his resignation Monday, saying he plans to leave office at the end of the month.
Brown, a Republican serving his first term at the county, is stepping down to focus on his career, he wrote in an email to the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners. Brown, who works for a fire alarm company, said he’s been promoted to oversee the alert system for a Mid-Atlantic military base.
“Just recently my role at my full-time career has changed and my responsibilities have expanded, requiring more of my time and attention,” he wrote in the brief email.
Brown, who previously served 10 years on Emmaus Borough Council, told The Morning Call that between 13 years in public office and his new responsibilities, he was looking to make a change. With a daughter heading to college, he reassessed how he wanted to spend time with his family. He was unsure if he would have sought reelection, he said.
“It’s a new season,” he said. Despite his limited time at the county, Brown often found himself in the center of politics. He served two years as vice chairperson of the board and frequently ran meetings in 2018 when former Commissioner Marty Nothstein was absent during his unsuccessful bid for Congress.
Last year, Brown played a key role in reaching a compromise tax hike, the county’s first in a decade. Two county executives had warned for years that a small hike was needed to avoid a massive one later on. Brown pushed back against a proposed 5.5% hike and eventually hammered out a 3.8% increase with Executive Phillips Armstrong. The deal passed by a bipartisan 7-2 vote, though some Republicans voted for it grudgingly to prevent the higher tax rate from passing by default.
No one knew it at the time, but the 2019 hike would pay dividends almost immediately. The coronavirus pandemic forced the county to pick up new expenses, and Armstrong said it would have been impossible without the tax increase. He commended Brown for working out a deal.
“We would have been up that proverbial creek without a paddle without that agreement,” said Armstrong, a Democrat. “He gave and I gave. That’s what government should be. I am very proud of that budget.”
Looking back, Brown said he had bittersweet feelings about the agreement. He regrets he didn’t negotiate for a lower hike but not that he and Armstrong were able to reach a good-faith compromise.
“My heart and my intent was with serving people, I didn’t do it for myself. I did it to serve the people,” he said. Earlier this year, Brown sought to move into state politics but came in a distant second in a crowded primary for the 131st District state House seat.
Brown lost to Republican Milou Mackenzie, who is facing Democrat Kevin Branco in a race to succeed Rep. Justin Simmons, who is not seeking reelection.
Commissioners have 45 days to appoint a replacement once Brown leaves office. Under the county’s Home Rule Charter, the appointee must be a Republican.
The person will serve the remainder of Brown’s term, which expires in 2021.
Brown represents District 5, which covers Coopersburg, Emmaus, Macungie and parts of Allentown and Lower Macungie, Lower Milford, Salisbury and Upper Saucon townships.