Deadline approaching for prospective Luzerne County study commission candidates

Luzerne County residents interested in serving on the county’s proposed government study commission can start collecting nomination paper signatures next week to appear on the April 23 primary election ballot.

Candidates must obtain at least 200 signatures from county registered voters on their nomination papers. The window to collect signatures is between the thirteenth and tenth Tuesdays before the primary, or from Jan. 23 to Feb. 13.

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

If a commission is activated, the panel must examine the county’s current home rule structure that took effect in 2012 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 state code system in which three elected commissioners and multiple row officers handled decisions that now rest with an 11-member council and appointed manager.

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

The only eligibility requirement for study commission members is that they be registered voters of the county, according to the state’s home rule handbook prepared by the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services, which falls under the Department of Community and Economic Development.

Current officeholders, including local, school, county and state officials are eligible to serve as study commission members, it said.

And because the office is nonpartisan, those covered by local or state civil service regulations also are eligible to serve, it said.

Possible candidates

County Democratic Chairman Thomas Shubilla and county Republican Chairman P.J. Pribula both said they are actively seeking citizens interested in serving.

Prior county councilman and current Wyoming Valley West School Board member Tim McGinley said he is contemplating running for the commission but has not yet decided.

Citizens have contacted him urging him to run because he already is intimately familiar with the county government structure due to his 12 years serving as a county council member from the start of home rule until the end of 2023.

“I think I could bring some pretty good knowledge to the group,” said McGinley, who did not seek another council term due to the charter’s consecutive three-term limit.

Another prior county councilman, Stephen J. Urban, said he is planning on running. Urban, who did not win re-election to council in November, said he would consider all options objectively as a study commission member but is not seeking elimination of the home rule structure.

“I think we have to take a look at the charter and try to correct deficiencies. I’m going into it to improve the charter because I think there are some good things about it,” Urban said.

Nescopeck Township resident Vivian Kreidler-Licina also said she is contemplating running.

In May 2009, the last time a study commission was on the ballot, 20 residents from throughout the county appeared on the ballot. That commission was 11 members and ended up drafting the charter in place today.

The commission held weekly public meetings to consider and debate options. Study commissions typically retain a solicitor and consultant to assist.

Hard work

Serving on a study commission is a long-term commitment. The panel has nine months to report findings and recommendations and an additional nine months if it is opting to prepare and submit government changes. An extra two months is allowable if the commission is recommending a charter electing council by district instead of at large

“There’s a lot of work. They have to dissect the entire charter,” said former county councilman Rick Morelli, who served on the last study commission. “I would say more work is involved being on a study commission than on council.”

Morelli said he has been encouraged to run for the commission seat but is unable to devote the required time and focus at this time.

“People need to be committed to it and understand it’s a very detailed, integral process,” Morelli said, noting each proposed change has ripple effects on other aspects of the government structure.

Morelli does not personally support convening a study commission, describing it as a “waste of time and money.”

“No matter what you change, there will be flaws because no government is perfect,” he said.

County Controller Walter Griffith, who served on the last study commission, agreed the task is “a real commitment.”

“It’s very, very important that people running understand the importance. It’s a lot more than putting your name on the ballot. It carries a lot of weight and responsibilities,” Griffith said.

Local attorney James Bobeck, who served on the home rule transition committee and later on county council, has been mentioned by some as a possible study commission candidate but said he won’t be running.

Bobeck said he is thankful for the current structure and considers it an “absolute success” in reducing debt, building a strong credit rating and increasing transparency.

Some view lengthy council meetings and delays in some decisions as a negative, but Bobeck said “messiness is a by-product of open government.” He said he’d choose that “any day” over a system that often “appeared smooth” at meetings because two elected majority commissioners held vast power and made decisions behind the scene.

“For those who choose to run, I wish them wise judgement and the commonsense to remember what things looked like in the not so ancient history of 12 years ago prior to home rule,” he said.