Christian Leinbach, Commissioner, Berks County

In an interview with Invest:, Commissioner Christian Leinbach of Berks County discussed regional infrastructure, economic development, and the importance of financial planning and collaboration. “Our children are the messages we send to a time we will not see,” Leinbach said.

What lessons have you learned as board chair, and how have they shaped your leadership in Berks County?
I’m in my 18th year as commissioner and have chaired the board since 2012. Our government structure is built on collaboration — each commissioner has equal authority, and most decisions are made unanimously. That cooperative model has been essential to moving major regional projects forward.

A key example is the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority, created in partnership with Montgomery and Chester counties. Passenger rail service ended in Berks County in 1981, and past efforts to restore it never advanced. The turning point came when the private-sector-led Berks Alliance funded a study proposing Amtrak — not SEPTA — as the operator, creating a more financially viable model. This approach reinvigorated the passenger rail discussion, ultimately helping drive the decision of each county to vote to form the SRPRA in early 2022.

Earlier this year, all three counties voted to extend it for 47 years, signaling long-term commitment and confidence in the project’s progress.

The success of this initiative reflects the region’s ability to coordinate across governments, leverage private-sector engagement, and maintain disciplined planning even before an executive director was in place. The project is advancing steadily, and we remain cautiously optimistic about its future impact on workforce mobility, economic development, and regional competitiveness.

At the end of the day, local government is about making tangible differences in people’s lives. Those individual moments — even small ones — reinforce why long-term collaboration and steady leadership matter.

How would you describe the county’s progress in strengthening governance and partnerships?
Partnerships have been essential to improving how we deliver services. A strong example is the merger of Berks County’s BARTA with Lancaster County’s Red Rose Transit to form the South-Central Transit Authority. The consolidation has saved millions and improved efficiency while keeping communication open. I still work closely with the director.

Another example is the transformation of Reading Regional Airport. Over the years, I became concerned about the gradual decline in aviation business at the airport. The airport was overseen by a volunteer authority appointed by the county, and while the members were well-intentioned, they faced complex, high-stakes decisions. Over time, aviation activity declined, and we saw the risk of long-term viability.

In 2022, the authority requested that the county consider converting the airport into a department. We brought in aviation consultants who advised against that, recommending a change in governance instead. That fall, all seven members of the authority resigned voluntarily, and the county took over. The board was reduced to five members: the three commissioners, the chief operations officer, and the community and economic development director or their designees.

One of our first actions was to merge the two existing fixed-base operators. Neither was profitable, and one was in a legal dispute with Quest Diagnostics, our largest aviation tenant. That issue was resolved, the lawsuit was dropped, and Quest signed a 29-year lease with expansion options.

This year, NetJets signed on to build a maintenance and service facility, scheduled to open early next year. We’ve seen the airport return to profitability, and for the first time in decades, aviation activity is growing.

Although we don’t currently have commercial service, the airport remains vital to regional transportation. It’s especially important to companies that base their aircraft here. Our goal is to become the leading general aviation airport in Pennsylvania by economic impact. A few years ago, even without commercial flights, we ranked 12th statewide with an estimated $72 million in regional benefit.

We still have work to do, but the trajectory is strong, and the progress is real.

What has emerged from the Imagine Berks economic development strategy so far?
Imagine Berks began through the leadership of Pam Menet, our director of community and economic development. She joined during the early stages of the pandemic and proposed the county’s first comprehensive economic strategy. It wasn’t just a plan on paper, it focused on community input, implementation, and accountability.

Funded through American Rescue Plan dollars, the strategy identifies priority sectors. Agriculture remains key, with Berks ranking just behind Chester County in mushroom production and hosting a major duck processor. Manufacturing is the largest sector by jobs and impact, employing more than 30,000 people. East Penn Manufacturing is one of the region’s major employers.

Reading continues to present both challenges and opportunities. It has the highest unemployment rate in the county, but its location, transit connections, and potential for rail restoration make it central to our long-term growth efforts.

Housing is another critical issue. Supply is short across income levels, and low-income families are being pushed out of ownership into rentals. In many cases, rent now exceeds what a mortgage would cost. Imagine Berks aims to address that gap.

One major outcome is the launch of the infrastructure fund, developed in partnership with the Berks County Industrial Development Authority. It provides low-interest loans to support infrastructure projects. Lower Heidelberg Township, for example, is using the fund to connect local water systems and expand service to several key sites. These are loans, not grants, designed to be repaid and reinvested in future projects.

Other municipalities, including Amity Township and Boyertown, are exploring similar uses. These investments show how long-term planning and public-private collaboration are producing tangible, lasting outcomes.

What are your strategic goals for Berks County over the next three to five years?
Over the next few years, I’d like to see passenger rail service restored in Berks County and for Reading Regional Airport to continue its growth toward becoming Pennsylvania’s top general aviation airport by economic impact.

What makes these goals achievable is our financial position. Since I took office, our bond rating has been upgraded three times. Today, Berks holds a AAA rating from Moody’s, the highest possible, and one held by only about 5% of counties nationwide. That level of financial strength isn’t accidental. It takes long-term planning, consistent discipline, and a willingness to make tough calls.

Berks is one of a very few counties that uses a five-year budget projection tool when making key budget decisions. Understanding the impact of budget decisions today on future years is critical. This tool helps us see the future. That lets us weigh the short- and long-term consequences of spending decisions, especially when investing in technology or infrastructure. We also issue quarterly cash reports, comparing projections to actual performance so the public can see where we stand.

Earlier this year, we asked all departments to identify 3% in spending reductions through year’s end and to plan for a 5% cut in the next budget. This wasn’t a panic response, but a proactive step to adjust for federal budget changes and the unresolved state budget here in Pennsylvania. We made it clear that salaries and benefits wouldn’t be touched. The goal was to reduce discretionary spending, and departments responded. So far, we’ve identified about $1.9 million in savings, including simple changes like eliminating unused cable services.

We also took a different approach than we did after the 2008 downturn. Back then, we shared worst-case projections that left people feeling discouraged. This time, our leadership team focused on collaboration. They laid out the challenges, what we hoped to avoid, and asked departments to help solve the problem. That shift made a real difference. Our staff responded with practical, thoughtful solutions, and I’m proud of their effort.

Most of all, I’m proud of the people who work in Berks County government. They’re the ones who generate ideas, carry out the plans, and make progress happen. Our role as leaders is to support them, through fair compensation, solid benefits, and programs like mental health first aid, which we offer in partnership with Penn State. We also provide strong dental and vision coverage because when people feel valued, they do their best work.