Luzerne County has provided a mail ballot drop box in the county-owned Broad Street Business Exchange Building in Hazleton, as shown, but future plans are unknown because the county is in the process of selling the property to a private entity.
File photo
Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat said Thursday, Luzerne County is welcome to place the southern county mail ballot drop box in city hall.
The box has been in the county-owned Broad Street Business Exchange Building in the city since 2023, but County Council unanimously voted earlier this month to sell that building to YMSF Family Partnership LP for $2.42 million.
County Election Board members asked the county election bureau on Wednesday to reach out to YMSF to see if the box can be kept there.
Greg Barrouk, director of commercial real estate for Lewith & Freeman Real Estate Inc., is representing YMSF in the purchase and said Thursday the family partnership would be willing to work with the county on anything involving the property, including the drop box, noting details would be needed.
The buyers spoke to the county administration about completing the property purchase on Wednesday and will jointly work with the county to prepare a sale contract, Barrouk said.
A due diligence period will be necessary to perform a detailed inspection before closing. The bid included a $125,000 deposit and agreed that the property would be purchased as-is. The limited partnership plans to continue operating the property as a commercial office and mixed-use building.
County Election Director Emily Cook told the Election Board on Wednesday that it must reach a decision on the drop box plan in February to prepare for the May 19 primary election.
Drop boxes must be under video surveillance and anchored to the floor or a wall to prevent their unauthorized removal as specified in Election Board protocol.
Hazleton City Hall served as the southern county drop box site before the Broad Street Business Exchange, but that arrangement ended in 2022 due to concerns about video surveillance.
Cusat said city police were housed in the city hall building at that time, and officials were concerned law enforcement activity would be captured on the drop box surveillance. That is no longer an issue, the mayor said, because police have relocated to another building.
“There would be no objection to placing the box in city hall now,” Cusat said.
Cusat said he is not a proponent of mail ballot voting, but it is an option permitted by state law. If the county wants to provide a drop box for southern county residents, Cusat said he’d rather have the box inside city hall “so we can vouch for its integrity.”
County Manager Romilda Crocamo said the administration will work with any entities required to carry out the drop box plan authorized by the Election Board.
The county already has a presence at Hazleton City Hall, leasing space there for a southern annex since 2024.
Cusat highlighted the southern annex in his 2025 year-in-review report, which said there were 17,086 security screenings logged for citizens seeking county services.
Southern annex services are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, including access to filings for civil and criminal court and wills.
Cusat said statistics on usage “legitimize bringing the annex here.”
The county is leasing the space for $28,650 annually. Crocamo agreed the southern annex is important to serve residents at a distance from the county seat in Wilkes-Barre. She said the county law office is preparing a proposed lease extension that will be presented to County Council for its consideration.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
