Salisbury's Norma Cusick Vies for Lehigh County Commissioner

Norma Cusick, a former member of the applied this week for the open at-large seat on the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners.

The seat became vacant after , also of Salisbury, resigned to run for county controller, which he won., served on the Salisbury board of commissioners for five years but did not run again this year.

"I'm looking forward to the interview process and I believe I bring an awful lot to the plate," Cusick told The Express-Times. "I believe I would contribute at a high level to the board of commissioners."

Cusick is on the board of the Allentown Public Library and the Lehigh County Authority. She is a former Salisbury Township planning director and school board member.

Cusick told the Express-Times she ran for commissioner in response to the county's 16 percent tax hike in 2011. "Cusick said she never voted to raise taxes in Salisbury Township and, in fact, reduced taxes some years," the article said.

Two others, both Republicans, have applied for the Eckhart's seat: Dan Paschke, a staffer for state staffer (R-131st) and Mike Schware, who has served on the Allentown Planning Commission for the past eight years. Schware, 46, is a past treasurer for the Allentown Preservation League and ran unsuccessfully for city controller in 2007.

Paschke, 25, has worked with Simmons for almost two years, first as a campaign staffer and now as a community outreach specialist. Paschke currently covers Southern Lehigh and works out of Simmons' district office, something that he doesn't plan to change.

The appointments committee will make a recommendation to the county commissioners by the end of January. The commissioners must fill the vacancy by Feb. 14.