Luzerne County Election Board issues plea for chairperson applicants

Luzerne County’s Election Board was unable to appoint a fifth member to serve as chair Wednesday because all three citizen applicants were deemed ineligible due to county home rule charter restrictions.

In response, the board made plans to more widely advertise the unpaid opening and issued a plea for residents to seek the leadership post.

“Anywhere we can post it, I suggest we post it,” temporary board chair Missy Thomas said during the special meeting that had been called Wednesday to publicly interview and possibly select someone.

Under the charter, citizens cannot serve on the election board if they are an elected county or public official, a county or public employee or a member or employee of any other county authority, board or commission. Furthermore, appointees can’t be a political party officer or a paid consultant, contractor or employee of an entity serving as a contractor of the county or any county authority, board or commission.

These prohibitions go beyond current circumstances and apply four years prior to appointment.

County Chief Solicitor Romilda Crocamo said one of the three rejected applicants was a Hazleton Area School Board member four years ago, in April 2017. The other two restrictions were related to employment. One applicant works for the Crestwood School District, and the remaining one is a Luzerne County Community College employee, she said.

In addition to spreading word of the chair opening through social media and emails, the post will be publicly advertised on the election section of the county website, luzernecounty.org.

The election board serves as an independent citizen body to oversee and certify elections and make determinations on flagged ballots and write-in votes.

County council appoints two Democrats and two Republicans to the board, and those four must then select someone from any political party or no affiliation to serve as chair. In addition to Thomas, the remaining council-appointed board seats are filled by Richard Nardone, Kathryn Roth and Audrey Serniak.

There is urgency to select a chair because the charter sets a 60-day deadline after the seat was declared vacant. After 60 days, a citizen can petition the county court to fill the vacancy.

Crocamo had told the board the 60 days would be up on April 24 because council had accepted the resignation of prior chair Jeanette Tait on Feb. 23.

Councilman Stephen J. Urban was briefly named chair after Tait, but Crocamo said his appointment was not recognized as legitimate by council because council members can’t serve on the election board under the charter. Council replaced the two election board members who had appointed Urban chair against Crocamo’s warnings.

County Assistant Solicitor Michael Butera told the board Wednesday it may have some latitude to select a chair after April 24 because judges would not intervene unless someone petitions the court.

In other business, Bob Morgan, the county’s new election director, attended Wednesday’s virtual session. He started his county employment this week.