"If Ed Adamczak had his way, Lower Macungie would have created a police department years ago. The dramatic spike in traffic brought on by the township's building boom alone would justify it, he said.

''A lot of people think the only reason you need one is to combat crime,'' the 76-year-old longtime township resident said. ''That's not the case. You need it to enforce [traffic] laws.''

Adamczak has been in the minority for years. The third largest municipality in the Lehigh Valley relies on state police to do the job rather than absorb the potential budget-busting cost of a police department.

Such a move would likely mean the revival of a property tax in a township that hasn't had one for years. Multiple township studies dating as far back as 1973 have reached the same bottom line: Residents don't want to pay for it.

Eventually, they may have no choice. State lawmakers, as they have a number of times since the 1990s, are considering imposing a fee on municipalities like Lower Macungie for state police service, which would result in a multi million-dollar hit for the township."  For the rest of the Allentown Morning Call article, please click here.