Luzerne County Council confirms budget/finance division head nominee

Luzerne County Council voted Tuesday to confirm Mary Roselle’s appointment as the new budget/finance division head, advance a proposed merger of 911 and emergency management and lease space in Hazleton City Hall for a southern county annex.

All votes were unanimously approved by the 10 members in attendance, with council Chairwoman Kendra Vough absent.

Budget/finance

Roselle has been serving as interim budget/finance overseer since Brian Swetz left in August and will receive $115,000 annually in the division head position.

She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance and an MBA in finance — both from Wilkes University.

Roselle has worked as executive director of the Luzerne/Wyoming Counties Area Agency on Aging since the start of 2016. She has been employed at the county agency for 22 years and worked as the agency’s administrative services director during the first 15 years of her tenure.

Prior to her county employment, Roselle worked as finance manager for G.E. Capital Communications and Commonwealth Telephone.

The county manager’s division head appointees are subject to council confirmation under the county’s home rule charter.

The position was advertised at $115,000 to $125,000. Swetz had received $98,263.

Council Vice Chairman John Lombardo congratulated Roselle, and she received a round of applause.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo said after the vote she is thrilled to welcome Roselle to the executive team and that she will “continue to serve the citizens of Luzerne County with her insight and professionalism as she has for the last 22 years.” She said Roselle will bring fresh ideas.

“With her strong background in finance and track record of driving a successful department, I am confident that Mary will play a key role in our county’s continued growth and financial stability,” Crocamo said. “With the addition of a seasoned professional like Mary, the county is well-positioned to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape and achieve its long-term strategic goals.”

911/EMA

Crocamo recommended the consolidation of 911 and the Emergency Management Agency to improve safety and security and possibly yield savings.

Luzerne County is only one of three counties in Pennsylvania that have separate 911 and EMA departments, Crocamo has said.

Council voted Tuesday to introduce an administrative code amendment ordinance in which the county will appoint a director of emergency services to oversee both EMA and 911.

A majority must approve the ordinance at a future meeting for the merger to take effect.

Lucy Morgan currently works as the county’s EMA director and has been serving as acting 911 executive director since Fred Rosencrans left for other employment the end of July. EMA Deputy Director Dave Elmore has been overseeing EMA since Morgan’s interim assignment at 911.

Located in Hanover Township, the 911 center marked its 25th anniversary in June and provides police, fire and emergency medical dispatching for 175 agencies throughout the county.

The county EMA command center is on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre, near the county prison. This county department must coordinate resources to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies within the county, including floods and other weather-related disasters and a nuclear power plant disaster.

Councilman Gregory S. Wolovich Jr. thanked 911, saying he is hearing about positive developments.

“This is a great step in continuously moving forward,” he said of the planned merger.

Hazleton annex

The Hazleton City Hall lease will be $6,450 per month, or $77,400 annually, and run from Jan. 1, 2024 through the end of 2026, with options for four additional one-year renewals at a rate negotiated by both parties.

Crocamo said she will have a satellite office at Hazleton City Hall along with representatives of the recorder of deeds, register of wills, prothonotary (civil court records/filings), clerk of courts (criminal court records/filings), treasurer’s, assessment and elections departments. Gun permits also would be processed there.

County court officials also plan to occupy space for probation officers to perform drug testing, a southern central court and the Hazleton magisterial district court office, she said. The latter two would require approval from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, or AOPC. Relocating the magisterial court would save $62,676 annually because the county pays $5,223 per month to lease space on East Broad Street in Hazleton for this magisterial court, officials said.

Road funding

Council also unanimously voted to allocate $1 million in interest earnings on federal American Rescue Plan funding for county-owned road repair and maintenance projects.

Council members also agreed to seek casino-gambling funding to address two county-owned roads — Oak Hill Road in Wright Township and Blytheburn Road in Dorrance and Rice Townships.

Public defender

Crocamo welcomed Interim Chief Public Defender Joseph Yeager, who was seated in the audience for his budget presentation.

Yeager has worked as an assistant public defender for more than 40 years. She appointed him interim overseer last month following the termination of Steven Greenwald.

In addressing office vacancies, Crocamo said the county has hired two new assistant public defenders since Yeager started overseeing the office, and another application is pending.

Yeager also rearranged office scheduling, which she said will enhance representation.

“I thank him for coming up to the plate and hitting a home run,” Crocamo said.

The office must defend low-income clients who request representation for misdemeanor or felony charges.