County: No prohibitions on Gilbert McBride serving as election deputy

Luzerne County officials said Wednesday there are no county home rule charter or code provisions prohibiting Beth Gilbert McBride from filling the deputy election director position while serving as a Wilkes-Barre Councilwoman.

County Election Director Michael Susek said the county human resources department had the county law office fully review Gilbert McBride’s eligibility early in the selection process.

Harry Skene, the county’s acting chief solicitor, said Wednesday the legal review had been performed based on a hypothetical scenario without the name of the individual. That’s why he had been unable to confirm Gilbert McBride’s eligibility during a break in Tuesday’s council meeting, shortly after Susek released information about the deputy election director hiring.

Skene verified there are no prohibitions for a seated municipal elected official to hold employment in the election bureau or any county offices.

Skene said concerns could surface if Gilbert McBride sought re-election to council because she would appear on the ballot while assisting with elections. However, that is not expected to be an issue because Gilbert McBride said she would not run for a third council term when her current term ends in 2023.

The county administration also made it clear she would not be permitted to run for office while working for the bureau, officials said.

Thirteen applicants sought the position, and the administration said Gilbert McBride was deemed the most qualified.

Alyssa Fusaro, a Republican member of the county’s five-person, bipartisan, volunteer election board, said Wednesday she has heard from numerous citizens expressing concerns about the hiring of an elected official to the position.

“The election board recently voted to prohibit elected officials from serving as judges of elections at polling places. The hiring of an election bureau deputy who is an elected official goes against the board’s efforts to avoid any appearance of a conflict,” Fusaro said.

Fusaro stressed the election board was not consulted on the hiring, noting board input is not required.

Gilbert McBride, a 28-year-old Democrat, will receive $42,000 annually in the position and start work this Friday.