Luzerne County Council approves study commission referendum, tax break

A Luzerne County Council majority voted Tuesday to place a home rule study commission question on the 2024 primary election ballot and grant a tax break for a massive Hazle Township commercial development project.

Several citizens also urged the county to reconsider appealing a county court ruling that granted the Citizens Advisory of Pennsylvania access to video surveillance footage of official county buildings where ballots were processed and voting equipment was maintained around the time of the November 2022 general election.

Study commission

Eight of 11 council members approved the government study commission referendum: Carl Bienias III, Kevin Lescavage, John Lombardo, LeeAnn McDermott, Matthew Mitchell, Kendra Vough, Brian Thornton and Stephen J. Urban.

Council members Tim McGinley, Chris Perry and Gregory S. Wolovich Jr. voted against the referendum.

County 2024 primary election voters will simultaneously decide if they want to convene a commission and elect citizens to serve on the panel. The selected residents would only serve if the referendum passes.

Council decided to limit the commission to seven members, as opposed to options for nine or 11.

The study commission must examine the county’s current home rule structure and decide if it wants to prepare and recommend changes. If so, the commission would be free to recommend alterations to the existing charter, an entirely new charter or a return to the prior three-commissioner/row officer structure that was replaced by home rule’s 2012 implementation. Home rule split decision-making into legislative and executive branches handled by the 11-member council and appointed county manager.

Voters would ultimately have to approve a commission recommendation for it to take effect.

During public comment, Wilkes-Barre resident Eugene Wallace said he believes the commission should recommend going back to the three-commissioner system, asserting it would be “easier to solve problems” and that “too many hands spoil the soup.”

West Pittston resident David Chaump said he actively campaigned for home rule. While he is not against council’s decision to approve the referendum and give voters the opportunity for their voices to be heard, he cautioned there is an inherent risk that there will be “well-financed” commission candidates who will push to go back to the three-commissioner system because it would be easier for some to have more influence.

Compared to the prior system, Chaump said home rule met objectives in minimizing politics in daily operations, increasing transparency and giving more people an opportunity to be active participants.

Tax break

Council unanimously agreed to give Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services a real estate tax break for a 1,740-acre project on mine-scarred land that will be named the Crossroads East Business Park.

Primarily along Interstate 81, the project would add approximately 36 buildings, collectively measuring 14.64 million square feet.

This break would be under the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) program for blighted properties. As required under this program, the property owner must continue to pay taxes on the land throughout the break and receive a discount on taxes for the new development.

Mericle will receive 100% county tax exemption on new construction for a decade.

Developer Rob Mericle told council his company will continue focusing on attracting manufacturing tenants to the county at the new development.

Mericle thanked council after the meeting, saying his company is working diligently on obtaining final approvals and expects to break ground next year. The project will create thousands of jobs, he said.

“It will bring lots of new opportunities and jobs,” Mericle said.

Video footage

County Court of Common Pleas Judge Lesa S. Gelb had upheld the Citizens Advisory of Pennsylvania’s request for access to the video surveillance footage in September, affirming a final determination by the Pennsylvania’s Office of Open Records that the county had appealed.

Gelb ordered the county to make any necessary redactions to protect the identities of employees within 30 days, which would involve blurring faces. Within 30 days thereafter, Citizens Advisory vice president Ben Herring must arrange inspection of the records subject to access provisions under state law.

Herring has repeatedly emphasized he is not interested in seeing the faces of workers and said he requested a viewing of the footage amid concerns about the November 2022 general election paper shortage. Herring has said he wants to see if anything appears amiss, stressing he would report anything suspicious to law enforcement.

Based on his understanding, the footage would cover the county-owned voter warehouse and Penn Place Building in Wilkes-Barre.

The county has retained Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP in Philadelphia to file the appeal in Commonwealth Court, according to a recent filing signed by the firm’s Attorney Terry Mutchler.

Citizens Advisory representative Jamie Walsh, of Ross Township, told council Tuesday the hiring of a Philadelphia firm and appeal will waste tax dollars and is “irresponsible and ignorant.”

County Manager Romilda Crocamo said she will fully explain the administration’s position to council in executive session but won’t speak about the matter publicly because it involves pending litigation. Council members agreed they will hold an executive session.

The county law office has not yet released the hourly rate that will be paid to the Philadelphia firm.

Employees honored

Earlier Tuesday, three Luzerne County workers were honored for their length of service during a ceremony in the courthouse rotunda: Domestic Relations Deputy Director Nancy Pillets, with 41 years of service, and 40-year employees Linda Casey, an Area Agency on Aging aging care manager supervisor 1, and Robert V. Hetro, a county correctional facility sergeant.