Luzerne County Council’s proposed 2019 budget review will continue Tuesday with presentations from Controller Michelle Bednar and Correctional Services Division Head Mark Rockovich.
The work session is at 5 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.
The controller’s proposed budget would increase from $271,682 to $276,180, or $4,500.
Bednar requested something new in 2019 — $5,000 for outside legal services. The controller said the money will only be spent if the need for an independent legal opinion arises during audits.
In addition to the elected controller, the office has four staffers.
The correctional division budget seeks $28.5 million to run the Water Street correctional facility and minimal offenders building on Reichard Street, both in Wilkes-Barre, which is a $174,279 reduction from this year. The prison system is the largest single budget expense, amounting to 20 percent of the proposed $140.9 million general fund spending plan.
Budget amendments
County Councilman Harry Haas said he has submitted a budget amendment form suggesting a combined $89,080 in cuts in the county election department’s proposed 2019 budget.
County Chairman Tim McGinley said Haas was the only council member to submit an amendment to date. McGinley has scheduled a discussion on all proposed budget amendments at the Dec. 4 council meeting.
Spending on the election department would increase from $880,288 to $1.028 million under the requested budget, or an additional $148,019.
Among the election office cuts from Haas: reducing wages for non-union workers from $125,585 to $93,000, which was this year’s allocation.
Haas was critical of the administration’s creation of a new $30,000 election services associate position this summer, saying a council majority had opted against funding the position last year. The administration said other office funds were identified to cover the salary this year and that no council members objected when a memo was sent about the planned job creation.
Community college
Council last week appointed Joseph Lettiere to an unpaid seat on the county Community College Board of Trustees that had been vacated by Christopher Slusser.
Eleven citizens had applied for the seat. Applicants Cecilia Chmiola and Nicole Kruczek also were nominated but did not receive majority support.
Recreation funding
The county has $44,000 in natural-gas recreation funding available for outside grants and other discretionary uses, which is $3,000 less than an estimate provided to council last month.
Repairs of Susquehanna River ice jam damage to the county-owned River Common fishing pier wall ate up approximately $89,000 of the funding.
McGinley told his council colleagues they must decide if they want to keep the remaining funds in the bank, provide outside grants to municipalities and organizations or earmark portions for other purposes. Suggestions have included low-maintenance plants and mulch to spruce up empty beds at the River Common and gypsy-moth spraying assistance for municipalities.
The council members expressed interest in continuing to provide at least a few outside grants and informally agreed to advance that option in November.
The next natural-gas allocation won’t arrive until July 2019.
Grant application
County Manager C. David Pedri is seeking council approval to apply for a $421,000 multimodal grant from the state transportation department to fund bus shelters pads, bus shelters and curbing at the Hanover Industrial Estates. If the grant is approved, the county has $126,000 in liquid fuels funding available to cover the required 30 percent local match, he said.
Pedri said the county recently was successful obtaining a more than $500,000 multimodal grant to repave county-owned North and South Beisels Road in Butler Township. That project also will reduce stormwater runoff and add a biking/walking lane that ties into existing lanes and paths along East County Road, a portion of Butler Drive and the Drums Elementary School, the grant application said.
At Hanover Industrial, the county wants to support the county Transportation Authority’s initiative to address workforce needs by expanding busing services to the park.
Councilman Stephen A. Urban said the liquid fuels money is in “short supply” and should be spent maintaining deteriorating county roads instead of a new project.
“I don’t want to turn my back on any sort of state or federal money coming into Luzerne County,” Pedri said, noting the decision will be up to council.
