Lehigh Valley Health Network is asking Carbon County to help it with a new bond that the health system is looking at issuing.

The network approached the Carbon County Hospital Authority late last month regarding the tax-exempt bond.

Last week, Commissioner Chris Lukasevich said that the county is being asked to serve as a “conduit issuer” on behalf of LVHN for the bond, that is expected to be between $125 million and $350 million for the health network in Carbon County.

According to a correspondence released by the county from Peter T. Edelman of Stevens & Lee in Reading, the “county’s role in the transaction is very limited.”

Lukasevich stressed that the county is not underwriting the bond and has no liability with it.

LVHN is currently working to construct a $76 million hospital in Carbon County, as well as a $24 million cancer center in Hazleton.

Because of these projects, and because the interest rates are right, LVHN officials feel now is the time to refinance and bundle these bonds together.

In addition to the two projects, the hospital network would be rolling in to refinance bond series 2012B and 2020A, bringing the total to upward of $350 million.

LVHN asked the county hospital authority to help it with this endeavor, which would begin next month and have an expected bond closing date of the week of April 10.

The county will need to approve the project following public hearings, which will take place early next year.