20 Luzerne County government workers hired in May

In addition to Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo, 19 employees joined the county government workforce in May, according to the new monthly personnel report.

Four new employees are filling 911 telecommunicator positions, which pay $18.15 per hour — Heather Bocker, Brianna Corra, Kendra Dewey and Stephanie Kutteroff. Marc Welch also was hired as a part-time call taker at 911, a position that pays $15 per hour.

Meanwhile, 911 telecommunicator Maryrose Pope left county employment in May, the report said.

Fred Rosencrans, the executive director at 911, has been working on a proposed plan to address staffing shortages, although it has not yet been publicly presented and would require both council and union support.

Seven new prison correctional officers were hired at $17.27 last month, which is another position the county has been struggling to fill. The new correctional officers: Brandon Byess, Chad Drust, Bailey Hayden, Damon Knouse, Matthew Reap, Francesca Roman and Radu Spinghel.

The other new county employees, along with their positions and hourly compensation, the report said.: Crocamo, county manager, $82.05; Jerry Dehaza, Erick Hernandez and Kayla Radler, deputy sheriffs, $15.81; Alicia Govens, human services fiscal officer, $26.67; Jordan Hine, information technology network administrator, $26.67; Mary Jones, alternate aging agency senior center operator, $16.66; and Kiaura Ruskey, district attorney’s office clerk, $15.26.

Departures

Four workers retired in May, the report said: prothonotary clerks Ann Blaker and Sharon Iorio, aging agency senior center operator Patricia McClellan and Childeren and Youth fiscal technician James Philips.

In addition to Pope, nine county workers resigned last month, it said: Mark Bird, deputy sheriff; Matthew Brunn, election administrative assistant; Joanna Jinks, sheriff lieutenant; Jordan Leonard, part-time assistant public defender; Landon Leshko, Children and Youth caseworker 1; Madalynn Penchishen and Stephenie Wemmer, Children and Youth caseworker 2s; Jessica Timek, Children and Youth caseworker supervisor; and Amanda Trzesniowski, prison nurse.

One termination was listed in May of public defender clerk/stenographer Stella Nobrega Garcia.

Promotions

Seven workers advanced to different positions through the internal merit hiring process, the report said.

The employees, along with their new positions and hourly compensation: Mary-Jean Baird-Stanislow, Mental Health/Developmental Services (MH/DS) program specialist, $23.91; Joseph Berman, prison desk sergeant, $33.57; Anthony Chicalese, prison chef, $32.40; Heather Hunsinger, prothonotary clerk 3, $17.28; Girard Mecadon, part-time assistant solicitor, $23.60; Allison Miller, Children and Youth caseworker manager, $28.21; and Jamie Scarantino, MH/DS accountant, $23.42.

Controller update

County Controller Walter Griffith said he had a positive meeting with Crocamo last week, when she reviewed all audits his office has completed this past year.

Griffith said he believes Crocamo trusts his office’s ability to independently assess issues and indicated she will consider his audit recommendations to improve county operations.

The controller said he also met separately with Crocamo and election bureau representatives about his pending audit of campaign committees to determine if they are compliant with campaign finance reporting requirements.

While that audit of campaign finance reports is still ongoing, Griffith said Friday that his office has worked with election bureau and information technology department representatives to upload 2023 campaign finance reports on the county website.

The campaign finance information is available on the election page at luzernecounty.org.

Audit

A delay in the county’s 2022 audit was averted because county auditor Bakertilly received an essential component audit of Children and Youth Friday from that agency’s auditor, Harrisburg-based Zelenkofske Axelrod, officials said.

The county’s annual audit must be completed by June 30 under the home rule charter — a deadline set to ensure financial information about the state of prior-year finances is known in a timely manner and to avoid pre-home rule delays that made the data too stale.

During council’s Budget, Finance and Audit Committee last Tuesday, Bakertilly representative Adam Hartzel said the Children and Youth audit information was an important piece of the overall audit and had to be received by Friday to meet the June 30 deadline.

Committee Chairman Tim McGinley repeatedly stressed to Zelenkofske Axelrod that missing the Friday due date was not an option.