Luzerne County government workers would receive a discount on Luzerne County Community College courses through a program under consideration.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo said during last week’s council work session the program would help attract and retain employees.

Under the proposal, the college and county would each pay 25% of a course. The employee would be responsible for the remaining 50% and any required class materials and fees.

College Vice President of Finance Erin Herman told council the average three-credit class would cost an employee approximately $225, while the college and county would each pay $112.50.

County Budget/Finance Division Head Mary Roselle said classes must be approved by an employee’s manager. Most county departments have budgeted funds for education and training that could cover the expense, she said.

Councilman Harry Haas said he supports the initiative, describing the community college as the “best deal in town.” Council’s strategic initiatives committee had discussed the need for such partnerships to build staff, he said.

Councilwoman Brittany Stephenson highly praised the initiative and said it is a “tangible” way to bolster the county workforce.

Council must approve the program at a future meeting for it to take effect.

Study commission

The county’s government study commission will meet at 6 p.m. Monday in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

The seven-citizen commission is drafting a revised county home rule charter for voters to consider adopting in November.

Agenda topics include continued discussion about the structure and powers of the county election board.

Under the plan, which has not been finalized, the commission would recommend keeping a five-citizen election board but mandating that it has more power, including authority to hire the election director and prepare the annual budget request to county council.

A link to attend the meeting remotely will be posted under council’s online meeting section (scroll down) at luzernecounty.org.

Transportation matches

Council approved two annual county allocations for public transportation last week.

Hazleton Public Transit received a $229,778 county match required for the agency to obtain $2.8 million in state funding. The county Transportation Authority received an $871,609 allocation necessary for its $8.7 million in state operating assistance funds.

Pittston lease

Magisterial District Court 11-01-04 will remain in Pittston City Hall because council approved a lease for two more years.

The county court administration requested the lease renewal, which will cost $3,708 per month for approximately 2,000 square feet on the building’s second floor, or a total of $89,000 over the two-year period, the agenda said.

Correctional services

County council presented a proclamation to the county’s correctional services division last week to commemorate “National Correctional Officers and Employees Week.”

It acknowledged their “difficult and often dangerous assignment of ensuring the custody, safety and well-being” of county inmates.

“These corrections professionals consistently place themselves in danger to protect individuals whom society has generally cast aside,” it said.

Correctional Services Division Head James Wilbur said approximately 400,000 correctional officer hours are required annually to meet minimum staffing levels at the county prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre and nearby minimum offenders building on Reichard Street.

“These employees have dedicated their lives to keeping our communities safe,” Wilbur said.

Children, Youth and Families

The agency is collecting cleaning supplies for families in need this month as part of a spring cleaning campaign.

Requested items include spray and floor cleaning products and dish-washing sponges. Products can be dropped off at the county human services building at 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Wilkes-Barre.

Ethics commission

The county ethics commission is seeking proposals from qualified attorneys to provide legal services, according to a posting in the purchasing section at luzernecounty.org.

Under the council-adopted county ethics code, the commission must rely on a panel of outside attorneys to handle the initial stage of complaint investigations. On a rotating basis, the contracted attorneys are assigned cases and must determine within 60 days whether an investigation should be terminated, further investigated or result in the issuing of a formal complaint spelling out alleged code violations.

Due to ongoing recruitment challenges, the commission had only one outside attorney, Qiana Lehman, and she resigned last week.

County Controller Walter Griffith, who was named commission chairman last week, said he is determined to focus on a proposal to revamp the code to address concerns.

Griffith said code changes are necessary regardless of whether voters approve the revised home rule charter in November.

The county study commission’s proposal would require council to keep an ethics commission and code and mandate a council vote within nine months to either ratify or amend the existing ethics code.

The commission is composed of the county district attorney, manager, controller and two council-appointed citizens (one Democrat and one Republican).

A total 174,642 Luzerne County voters — 90,434 Republicans and 84,208 Democrats — have the opportunity to choose their nominees for a range of offices in Tuesday’s primary election.

Although Pennsylvania has closed primaries, all voters of any or no affiliation in Nanticoke and Hazleton are permitted to vote Tuesday on referendums in their cities.

Turnout is typically lower in a municipal election, as opposed to a presidential year.

In the last municipal primary in May 2023, turnout was approximately the same for both political parties — 26.54% for Democrats and 26.44% for Republicans, analysis shows. Two years before that, in May 2021, a little over a quarter of registered voters ended up casting ballots, or 25.7%.

Voting at the polls

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

A list of all 186 polling places is posted on the election bureau page at luzernecounty.org.

Since the November general election, location changes have been made at polling places in Duryea Ward 3, Kingston Wards 1 and 2, Plains Township Ward 2, Wilkes-Barre Wards 19 and 20 and Wright Township districts 3 and 4.

After signing in on electronic poll books, voters make selections on touchscreen machines and then receive a paper ballot printout to verify their choices. This printout must be fed into a tabulator to lock in the vote.

Voters with any concerns should inform a poll worker on the spot so the judge can assess the situation and, if warranted, resolve it, officials said.

Provisional ballots

Paper provisional ballots are cast at polling places when workers determine additional voter verification is needed. The county reviews provisional ballots last during post-election adjudication to ensure the voters are properly registered and did not cast a second ballot by mail.

Instructions are important for provisional ballots. They must be placed in a secrecy envelope, which is then inserted in an outer envelope. Three signatures — two from the voter and one from the judge of elections — are required on the outer envelope for the vote to count.

To help voters, the county election board required the addition of yellow highlighting on lines that must be signed on provisional ballot outer envelopes.

The election bureau is highlighting the provisional envelopes signature lines by hand until the envelope supply is depleted. The highlighting will be pre-printed with the next order of new envelopes.

County Election Director Emily Cook said emergency ballots have been printed for all registered voters in each of the 186 precincts as a backup.

Mail ballots

Between 18,000 and 20,000 mail ballots have been issued to voters at their request, and more than 7,000 have been returned to date, Cook estimated.

Mail ballots must be physically in the election bureau by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Because postmarks do not count, voters returning ballots at this point should use a drop box instead of regular mail.

The county has two drop boxes in the lobby of county-owned buildings:

• Penn Place Building lobby, 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre — Monday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Election Day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Broad Street Exchange Building, 100 W. Broad St., Hazleton — Monday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. This box is not available on Election Day.

A box also is set up inside the election bureau on the second floor of the Penn Place Building in Wilkes-Barre.

Mail ballot voters can check the status of their mail ballot on the state’s tracker at pavoterservices.pa.gov.

Voters who received alerts of ballot deficiencies can appear at the election bureau on Monday to submit a new ballot or fill out a paper provisional ballot at their polling place on Election Day.

Mail voters who received but did not return their ballot also can bring the ballot package that was sent to them — the ballot and envelopes — to their polling place so it can be voided, allowing them to vote on the ballot marking device at their polling place.

Results

County results will be posted and updated at luzernecounty.org after the polls close.

The state’s electionreturns.pa.gov site will provide updated unofficial results in state races, which for this election would be two judicial seats in the Superior Court and Commonwealth Court.

Voters may call 570-825-1715 or email elections@luzernecounty.org to report any issues.

The county must issue an unofficial tally of ballots, including mail ones, by midnight on election night as a condition for its acceptance of a state election integrity grant.

State legislation authorizing this grant also requires participating counties to remain in place and continue tallying until the unofficial count is completed instead of halting the count and returning the next day, officials said.

Approximately 40 workers will be sworn in and trained Monday so they can hit the ground running at 7 a.m. Tuesday to perform the initial unsealing and processing of mail ballots — known as pre-canvassing — in Penn Place, Cook said.

Races

The official proclamation listing all races on Tuesday’s ballot is posted on the election page at luzernecounty.org.

The races with competition in the primary election include:

• Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas judge

One seat is open, and two candidates - Tom Mosca and Mark Bufalino - are cross-filed to appear on both the Republican and Democratic ballots seeking a primary nomination.

• Luzerne County Council

Republican and Democratic voters will each select five nominees. Those 10 will then advance to the November general election, when all voters are free to select five of any affiliation.

Seven Democrats are running: Chris Belles, Steven M. Coslett, Tony Perzia, Johnny Price, Dawn Simmons, Emily Singh and Denise Williams. Nine Republicans are seeking that party’s five nominations: Thomas Dombroski, Ronald D. Knapp, Kevin Lescavage, John Lombardo, Jackie Scarcella, Brian Thornton, Stephen J. Urban, Rob Viars and Greg Wolovich.

• Magisterial District Judge 11-2-01

Three candidates are cross-filed to appear on both party ballots seeking the nomination to replace retiring Magisterial District Judge Joseph Carmody —Laura Dennis-Bovani, Robert J. Boyer and Matthew J. Carmody.

Ballot questions

Nanticoke voters will vote on a referendum asking if the city’s home rule charter should be amended to eliminate a consecutive, three-term limit for city council members.

Hazleton voters will decide if they want to convene a seven-member Government Study Commission to examine the city’s existing structure and, if warranted, draft and recommend a home rule charter. Twelve citizens are running for the seven study commission seats, and the seven with top votes will be seated if voters choose to activate the commission.

Under a scenario that took shape Thursday, Luzerne County’s Government Study Commission would recommend keeping a five-citizen election board but mandating that it has more power, including authority to hire the election director and prepare the annual budget request to county council.

Currently, the county manager handles these duties but must consult with the board.

The potential change would be similar to the structure of the county controller’s or district attorney’s offices, with the election board-selected director overseeing staff and reporting to the board instead of to the county manager or council.

The commission is drafting a revised charter that will come before voters for possible adoption in November.

Commission members will not formally vote on the election board recommendations until proposed wording is presented at an upcoming meeting.

The movement to mandate more board power was largely in response to a legal overview Thursday from commission solicitor Joseph J. Khan, of Curtin & Heefner LLP.

Khan said home rule counties have discretion over how election boards are structured but must comply with the Pennsylvania Election Code, or Title 25, in setting forth the duties of the board.

The county’s current charter was clear about the selection of election board members but did not spell out the board’s duties, creating the potential for conflicting interpretations and future legal challenges, Khan told the commission.

Khan said Title 25 is clear that election boards have employee appointment authority and other responsibilities.

This very issue arose soon after the charter’s January 2012 implementation when the county’s election director was terminated by the manager, Khan said.

He was referring to Leonard Piazza, who oversaw the election bureau from April 2004 until his termination in April 2012.

Among other issues, Piazza’s litigation argued then-county Manager Robert Lawton did not have authority to terminate him because that power is held by the election board. There was no final court decision because a council majority approved a $56,000 settlement in March 2018 to end Piazza’s litigation.

Under the current charter, county council appoints four of the five citizens — two Democrats and two Republicans. Those four council-appointed members then select someone of any affiliation, or no affiliation, to fill the fifth seat and also serve as chair.

Prior to home rule, the county’s three elected commissioners served as the election board, with the court appointing substitutes during periods when sitting commissioners appeared on the ballot.

During Thursday’s two-hour discussion on the matter, commission member Stephen J. Urban said he has long argued that the election board was not exercising its lawful powers, which he said include the authority to select the county’s voting system.

Commission members discussed different scenarios of adding council members and/or the county manager to the board as voting or non-voting members, but the majority consensus appeared to be for keeping five citizens.

Regarding the fifth election board seat filled by election board members, commission Chairman Ted Ritsick said he does not believe that person should be required to fill the chairmanship seat. Ritsick said he believes more citizens would apply for the fifth seat if they did not have to serve in the leadership post. He advocated for allowing board members to select anyone to serve as chair during annual reorganization meetings.

Several others voiced support for Ritsick’s suggested change.

Commission members Mark Shaffer, Vice Chairman Vito Malacari and Treasurer Cindy Malkemes strongly opposed the addition of council members or the county manager to the election board as voting or non-voting members.

Once again, the fate of the former landmark Hotel Sterling site in Wilkes-Barre is up in the air.

A new hotel project slated for the vacant Sterling site at the corner of North River and West Market streets will be completed on Public Square instead, officials announced Thursday.

This is not the first setback for the 2.1-acre Sterling site.

The public learned in 2011 that CityVest, the property’s nonprofit owner at the time, was out of funds and couldn’t fulfill its mission of attracting a developer to renovate the former hotel into a premier residential and retail complex. The structure was condemned and demolished in 2013.

CityVest was unable to repay a $6 million Luzerne County community development loan largely used to make the parcel larger, pay a consultant, tear down an attached hotel structure and remove hazardous material. Critics had questioned that approach, saying the funds should have been invested on roof repairs and mothballing to stop leaks and prevent further deterioration.

The vacant site was placed under city ownership.

H&N Investments LLC purchased the property from the city in 2018 and later announced plans to construct a Gateway Hyatt Place Hotel and Conference Center there.

Hysni Syla, principal of H&N Investments, said Thursday he is developing new plans for the Sterling location that should be announced soon.

“I don’t know exactly what will happen at the site. Very soon we’ll know what kind of project we’re going to do,” Syla said.

Syla said he understands the significance of the Sterling site, which is visible at the Market Street Bridge entrance to the downtown.

“It will be something very good for the city,” Syla said of the Sterling site plans.

A county council majority had voted in January 2024 to allocate $3 million for a hotel project at the Sterling site.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo said Thursday that the $3 million hotel earmark has not been transferred because it was only going to be released after substantial construction had been completed.

Crocamo said she expects the $3 million will now be unencumbered for other county purposes because the earmark was specific to that project and location. She emphasized county council ultimately oversees the funding uses and would have to vote to rescind the earmark.

The county earmark was from community development funds that had been set aside in case the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development follows through with a $6 million penalty threatened a decade ago over a lack of development at the Sterling site when it was owned by the nonprofit CityVest.

Some argued the county should keep $6 million intact unless HUD drops the threatened penalty, but the federal agency has not communicated any willingness to do so to date, officials have said. Others maintained using the set-aside funds on a project at the Sterling site would be the best way to clear up the disagreement with HUD because that project would address HUD’s original complaint that no development or job creation has occurred there.

Separate from this earmark, county council had unanimously voted in November to cancel a $2 million federal American Rescue Plan Act allocation for a parkade at the former Sterling site because the remaining funding was not secured to complete that $4.5 million project.

The Wilkes-Barre Industrial Development Authority, which was overseeing the proposed public parking garage as part of a public/private partnership with H&N, informed the county it was unable to secure definitive commitments for all required funds.

The parkade would have serviced both the hotel and neighboring residential and commercial structures that currently rely on the empty Sterling lot for parking.

While still concerned about the status of the Sterling site, Crocamo congratulated the city on the announcement of a new hotel on Public Square.

“This development marks a significant milestone for our community, promising to enhance the vibrancy of downtown Wilkes-Barre,” Crocamo said.

“The addition of this hotel will undoubtedly increase foot traffic in the heart of our city, providing guests with convenient access to a variety of unique and diverse dining options,” Crocamo said. “This influx of visitors will not only benefit local businesses but will also contribute to the overall economic growth and revitalization of our downtown area.”

Luzerne County’s Government Study Commission is set to start addressing the election board at its Thursday meeting.

The commission is drafting a revised charter that will come before voters for possible adoption in November.

The election board provides general supervision over elections, certifies results and oversees post-election adjudication.

Commission Chairman Ted Ritsick said Wednesday that no firm recommendations have been weighed to date because the panel is still gathering information needed to assess the board structure and duties.

Citizens and officials have raised differing views on whether the board’s composition should be altered or untouched and what powers should be handled by the board, as opposed to the administration.

“Now we’re in a position where the commission is becoming fully informed, and we’ll have those conversations and figure it out,” Ritsick said.

“I can’t emphasize enough that we are really trying to get all the information needed,” he added. “Our goal is to fix the election board, and at the end of the day, that will require us to have due diligence presented to us that we’ll see over the next couple of meetings.”

Ritsick said commission solicitor Joseph J. Khan, of Curtin & Heefner LLP, will present a legal overview on the subject on Thursday.

Prior to home rule’s January 2012 implementation, the county’s three elected commissioners served as the election board, with the court appointing substitutes during periods when sitting commissioners appeared on the ballot.

The charter created an election board of five citizens. County council appoints four of the five — two Democrats and two Republicans. Those four council-appointed members then select someone of any affiliation, or no affiliation, to fill the fifth seat and also serve as chair.

Beth Gilbert, of In This Together NEPA, issued a release Wednesday stating its recent survey revealed “overwhelming support for preserving the independence and bipartisan structure of the county’s Board of Elections.”

Describing the five-citizen structure as a critical safeguard, the release said 90.2% of the 1,282 survey respondents said it is very important the election board remains independent and bipartisan.

“Any attempt to place control of elections back into the hands of partisan political actors is a step backwards. The independent Board of Elections was created to prevent precisely that — to ensure that no political party or elected body could interfere in the administration or certification of our elections,” it said.

The organization urged the commission to “listen to the will of Luzerne County voters and leave the independent, bipartisan Election Board intact in the proposed charter.”

“Our democracy works best when it is protected from political influence. Our voters have made it clear they expect nothing less,” it said.

Thursday’s commission meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. A link to attend the meeting remotely will be posted under council’s online meeting section (scroll down) at luzernecounty.org.

Visibly distraught, Wilkes-Barre resident Anthony Hall urged Luzerne County Council to expand a real estate property tax exemption program for honorably discharged military veterans permanently disabled in the line of duty.

The exemption is currently available only to veterans disabled during a period of war, but several other neighboring counties have expanded their programs to include non-wartime veterans.

Hall told council he has rods in his leg and back and narrowly avoided amputation of his leg.

“If you need to see the scars, I can show you the scars,” Hall said before council discussed the possible expansion in a work session Tuesday.

Hall said he had received the property tax exemption for his prior residence in Georgia and was upset to learn it was not provided here when he relocated to Wilkes-Barre approximately seven months ago to be closer to family.

Prior county veteran affairs director James Spagnola had publicly discussed his support for the expanded exemption last year, citing increasing statewide discussion about the unfairness of excluding veterans who are 100% disabled due to their service solely because they were not enlisted during a war.

County Councilwoman LeeAnn McDermott sought placement of the proposal on Tuesday’s work session agenda, saying she learned about the issue from Hall.

A vote would be necessary at a future council meeting for the change to take effect.

County Veteran Affairs Director Kevin Clocker told council that approximately 20 to 25 disabled, non-wartime county veterans would be eligible for the exemption.

Council members said they believe they only have the authority to exempt the county portion of the tax bill and that school districts and municipalities would have to agree to exempt theirs.

Using a projection of $1,000 in county taxes and approximately 30 current and future disabled veteran participants, McDermott estimated the expansion would cost the county $30,000 annually.

“For what they’ve sacrificed, it’s a drop in the bucket,” Clocker said of the veterans.

Clocker noted the county services 21,000 veterans, and participation in the exemption may increase if veterans currently in active service return disabled.

Councilman Kevin Lescavage said he believes the proposal is a “very worthy cause.”

Council Vice Chairman Brian Thornton said he is in favor of the expansion but wants to ensure there is no potential for fraud.

The exemption also would apply to the surviving spouse of the disabled veteran as long as the spouse remains unmarried.

Thornton asked which entity will be responsible for verifying and monitoring the disability confirmation, marriage and death certificates and any property transfer after death.

Thornton said he does not want a situation where children or other occupants of a residence continue receiving exemption after the deaths of a veteran and spouse.

Clocker said his office must examine all records and said the exemption “isn’t something granted and just forgotten about” because each case must be reviewed every five years.

In addition to working closely with the county assessment office, Veteran Affairs has a comprehensive database for the processing of veteran death benefits that also tracks the exemption, he said.

County Chief Solicitor Harry W. Skene said the program also requires 100% disability and income limits to be eligible.

Clocker said there are strict guidelines and checklists that also must be reviewed by the state and federal government, resulting in “plenty of sets of eyes that review this.”

Councilman Chris Perry, a veteran, said he believes the expansion is a “great idea.”

“I’m glad we can go forward with this. I’m sure you’ll get enough votes for it to pass,” Perry said.

As of last year, approximately 763 Luzerne County veterans were participating in the tax exemption because they served during wartime.

Hall told council his family has sacrificed to serve the country, saying his son was killed in military service in 2007. He said he may be forced to sell his residence if the exemption is not provided.

“I shouldn’t be going through what I’m going through because I got hurt in the service and never went to war,” Hall said.

Luzerne County Council members sought further explanation during Tuesday’s work session about a proposed county purchase of the historic former train station in downtown Wilkes-Barre for $615,000.

A council majority would have to grant approval at a future meeting for a purchase of the 154-year-old landmark to proceed.

Owned by Market Square Properties Development LLC, the 4,000-square-foot station on Wilkes-Barre Boulevard had been listed for sale at $625,000.

The county is interested because its tourism office, Visit Luzerne County, has been housed inside the train station since February 2022.

County council had approved the leasing of 2,100 square feet inside the station for the county tourism office in April 2021, agreeing to pay $32,400 annually for five years, with the option to renew for two additional three-year terms.

Due to the lease, a purchase could “stabilize the county’s long-term occupancy costs and prevent potential relocation disruptions,” the administration said.

Constructed in 1868, the train station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and is a “significant architectural and cultural asset,” the administration said.

If the purchase is authorized, the county would pay cash using miscellaneous county community development office funds, it said.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo told council Tuesday the administration believes the station is the “ideal” and “perfect” location for the tourism department, and ownership would be beneficial to the county as public policy.

The station is a “symbol” of the county, she added.

“Its historical value is extremely important to the identity of Luzerne County,” Crocamo said. “I believe we are stewards to ensure our historical structures are maintained, and the building is in great condition.”

Council Chairman John Lombardo asked about the structure’s condition, saying that was one of his concerns. He also inquired about the potential to lease the second floor to an outside entity to recoup funds.

County Chief Solicitor Harry W. Skene said the county’s roofing consultant identified needed repairs during negotiations, and Market Square has completed all specified work while supplying inspection reports.

Skene said the second-floor space could be rented out or used to house county offices that do not require public access because there is no elevator. Crocamo said the county may consider seeking a grant to add an elevator if clearances are granted for such a change in the historic structure.

Councilman Harry Haas asked if there is any chance of paying less, and Skene said the county negotiated the “lowest price we could get.”

Councilman Greg Wolovich sought verification that no county general fund operating budget money will be used for the purchase.

County Budget/Finance Division Head Mary Roselle said the $615,000 will come from unused surplus funds available in community development.

Haas said the tourism bureau also covers its expenses through revenue from the hotel tax and other outside sources — not the county’s general fund.

He said he wants to make it clear this is not funded by property taxes and that it’s not “one of those old county deals.”

Market Square Properties bought the 6.36-acre station complex in June 2016 for $1.2 million from the county Redevelopment Authority, which had purchased the property in 2006 from businessman Thom Greco for $5.8 million.

Prior county commissioners had authorized federal community development funds for the county Redevelopment Authority purchase. With no funds to develop the site, the authority sold the property to Market Square.

Market Square recently completed a subdivision that allows the train station portion to be sold separately.

Crocamo said the county is only purchasing the station and adjoining parking — not the entire parcel originally sold by the redevelopment authority.

Since the county would be purchasing the building outright, Roselle said the $2,700 the tourism office currently pays in rent could be shifted to cover other expenses.

Council Vice Chairman Brian Thornton cited the historic significance of the structure and said he also “cannot overemphasize the economic value of having functional rail lines right there” that could be used for passenger or freight.

“There’s a certain amount of economic value for the future that bodes well for the county,” Thornton said.

American Rescue

In Tuesday’s voting meeting, council unanimously approved five requested extensions for American Rescue recipients to complete their projects:

• Dallas Area Fall Fair Inc., the nonprofit overseer of the county fair, had received a $500,000 award to repair flood damage at its Dallas fairground caused by severe September 2023 rain.

Alan Pugh, president of the nonprofit’s executive board, sought a project completion deadline extension to Aug. 31, saying additional time is needed to finish the work, which will be completed before the September 2025 fair.

• The Greater Wilkes Barre Chamber of Business and Industry had been awarded $500,000 for its “Luzerne Learns to Work,” which exposes high school students to the range of careers available locally and paths to obtain them.

Council granted the chamber’s request to delay completion to Sept. 30 so remaining funds can be used to continue the program through that period.

• Hazleton had obtained a $995,357 earmark to complete stormwater management work on James, Peace and 21st streets.

The city sought a completion extension to Sept. 30, largely due to the discovery of unmarked and unexpected utility lines that had to be relocated and supply-chain delays of some materials.

• Sugar Notch had been awarded $650,250 for sewer and road work on Broadhead Avenue and Oak and Maffett streets and Woodland Road.

The borough asked to extend the deadline to April 1, 2026, in part due to delays in manufacturing some needed materials and equipment.

• Greater Hazleton Senior Citizens Services Inc. had received a $385,000 earmark to install an elevator.

It obtained an extension until June 30, 2026, due to an unanticipated material delivery delay.

In three other American Rescue projects, the county will have access to the following leftover funds because recipients completed their projects and spent less than anticipated, council decided Tuesday: General Municipal Authority of Harveys Lake, $26,783; Lang Beverage Co. in Nanticoke, $932; and Wilkes-Barre Area Community Gardens, $3.52.

Department merger

In another unanimous decision, council adopted an ordinance to consolidate the county Mapping/GIS Department with Planning and Zoning.

County officials said the merger will enhance decisions related to planning and development.

Staff for both departments would remain the same with the exception of reducing department heads from two to one.

Farm leases

Council unanimously approved the leasing of county-owned farmland in Butler Township to two outside entities.

This property is part of approximately 530 acres tied to the county’s operation of the Kis-Lyn work camp for juvenile delinquents from 1912 to 1965.

The two farm leases:

• Haz-Wald Farms LLC, two sections totaling 77.5 acres at $91 per acre for three years, or $7,052.50 annually.

• Long Hollow Cattle Co., one section totaling 69 acres at $75 per acre for three years, or $5,175 annually.

Council moved the leases from the work session to voting meeting after concerns were raised that waiting would negatively impact crop preparation and planting.

Opioid earmarks

Council unanimously voted Tuesday to remove three opioid litigation settlement fund earmarks from the agenda.

Councilwoman Brittany Stephenson made the motion, saying information for each was not properly presented to the public with the meeting agenda.

The opioid earmarks totaling $359,063 were proposed by the county’s Commission on Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement, which was created to make recommendations to county council on how to spend the funds.

DALLAS TWP. — Matt Sordoni, President of Sordoni Properties LLC, said the company recently purchased the former Offset Manufacturers plant and property and intends to bring a “mixed-use retail essentials development” to the historic site.

Sordoni said Fernbrook Commons 1 LLC is the holding company that was utilized to make the transaction. The purchase was finalized on April 24, Sordoni said. The purchase price was listed as $5.5 million, according to Luzerne County records.

“Sordoni Properties LLC is very excited to be the new owner of the former Offset Paperback Manufacturers site in Dallas Township, Pennsylvania,” Sordoni said. “We are calling the 16-acre redevelopment ‘Fernbrook Commons’ at this point.”

Sordoni said he and company officials listened to the residents of Dallas and are exploring options for the site that include grocery-anchored retail, a convenience store including fuel, a fitness center, dining experience facility, medical offices and educational space.

“The property has great potential for outdoor community activities as well,” Sordoni said. “As members of the Back Mountain community, our owners and partners understand the importance of, and the need for, this crucial development for the growth of the community.”

Sordoni said the site was once a cornerstone of the local economy, employing nearly 1,000 workers at its peak.

“Sordoni Properties is dedicated to preserving this legacy by creating new opportunities for employment and community engagement through the redevelopment,” Sordoni said. “The Sordoni Family has a long history with the property with Sordoni Construction having been the original builder of the Bloomsburg Mills plant in 1948.”

Sordoni said the site is challenged by decades of heavy industrial use and will need extensive and costly remediation to be brought back to life, while protecting the onsite wetlands and beautiful Toby Creek. He said the buildings on-site will be taken down to clear the way for construction of new buildings. He said the site will also require some environmental remediation work.

Sordoni said four nationally known grocery companies have expressed interest in locating a store in the new development.

“We look forward to working with all of the stakeholders in the Dallas community — including our elected officials — to deliver the needed amenities for the Back Mountain to continue to thrive,” Sordoni said. “This project will put the property back on the tax roles and increase employment. As far as what exactly will be in the development, the tenants will determine that.”

Luzerne County Council is set to vote Tuesday on three opioid litigation settlement awards totaling $359,063, the agenda said.

Council also will discuss a proposal to lease county-owned farmland to two outside entities.

The opioid projects were proposed by the county’s Commission on Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement, which was created to make recommendations to county council on how to spend the funds. The latest figures indicate the county should receive approximately $30 million over 18 years from the state’s settlement against opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors.

The proposed award recipients and amounts, along with a synopsis of the projects based on information they submitted:

• Willow Foundation, $193,808

The foundation’s Heartwood Center in Hazleton is the first and only drop-in center and day shelter servicing the homeless in the county’s southern half, and funds would help meet the needs of those impacted by opioid use disorders.

Heartwood Center provides access to breakfast and lunch, personal hygiene items, a food pantry and support services.

“Studies indicate that drop-in centers provide short-term assistance, but empower long-term solutions. Individuals often come to the Heartwood Center seeking immediate relief from day-to-day struggles. Once there, they find stability, support, resources, education and connections that lead to continued engagement and relapse prevention,” it said.

• Greater Pittston Regional Ambulance, $81,305

The licensed Advanced Life Support EMS provider, which services the greater Pittston area and surrounding municipalities, would use the funding to implement a more technologically advanced system to track and audit opioids that it procures, stores and administers.

Its barcode labeling and electronic inventory management system requires manual verification and tracking, which increases risk and inefficiency.

“This investment represents a significant advancement in our commitment to patient safety, regulatory compliance and opioid stewardship in Luzerne County,” it said.

• Dress for Success, $83,950

This funding would provide a range of services to an estimated 200 women impacted by opioid use disorder, including evidence-based recovery strategies focused on empowering them to find purpose.

The program also provides appropriate workplace attire and support and training to help them find employment and acclimate to the workplace.

“By offering tangible tools and materials that make it possible for a woman in recovery to obtain and retain employment, Dress for Success Luzerne County is removing one of the major roadblocks to continued sobriety for women,” it said. “Many of the women we serve do not seek employment simply because they do not have the means to purchase the appropriate attire for the workplace. That continues a cycle of unemployment and risks a woman in addiction recovery from opioid use disorder relapsing.”

Opioid fund status

The three allocations would come from a pot of $1.7 million that must be spent by the end of June.

In addition to the proposed new $359,063 earmark, council had voted earlier this year to use $260,000 for outpatient substance use disorder treatment services provided through the county’s drug and alcohol department, including medication-assisted treatment.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo said Monday the commission has been reviewing other applications and is on track to propose additional project earmarks for the remaining funds before the upcoming deadline.

Separate from this portion, the county has received $7.4 million in opioid litigation settlement funds that must be spent by June 2026, county Budget/Finance Division Head Mary Roselle said Monday.

In addition to Crocamo, the following serve on the opioid commission: county Council Chairman John Lombardo, council-appointed citizen Mary Butera, county District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce, county Drug and Alcohol Administrator Ryan Hogan, county Human Services Division Head Megan Stone and county Correctional Services Division Head James Wilbur.

Council voted last August and December to earmark $2.56 million for a range of internal and outside projects that met eligible uses, including programs that provide medication-assisted treatment at the prison, warm hand-off and recovery specialist services and treatment and prevention education.

Applications and information about eligible uses for the settlement funds are posted on the commission’s section at luzernecounty.org.

Farm leases

The county recently sought proposals from farmers interested in leasing sections of 146.5 acres of county-owned property in Butler Township for crops.

This property is part of approximately 530 acres tied to the county’s operation of the Kis-Lyn work camp for juvenile delinquents from 1912 to 1965. Portions are locked into long-term leases for the Ferrwood Music Camp (17.8 acres), and the Keystone Job Corps Center, which operates a federally funded, residential educational/vocational program on 122.9 acres.

The two proposed farm leases:

• Haz-Wald Farms LLC, two sections totaling 77.5 acres at $91 per acre for three years, or $7,052.50 annually

• Long Hollow Cattle Co., one section totaling 69 acres at $75 per acre for three years, or $5,175 annually

Both leases require use of the property solely for soil cultivation and crop production and indemnify and hold the county harmless from any claims, liabilities or damages arising from use of the land.

Council had contemplated subdividing some of the land so it could be sold and returned to the tax rolls, but a council majority expressed opposition to a sale last year, largely due to citizen complaints about additional development in the municipality.

The farm leases will be discussed during Tuesday’s work session, which follows the 6 p.m. voting meeting at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions to attend remotely are posted under council’s online public meetings section at luzernecounty.org.

Luzerne County added five new 911 telecommunicators in April, but more are needed.

The county still has 17 vacant telecommunicator positions and is seeking applicants for a training class in July, said a posting under the human resource department’s career opportunities section at luzernecounty.org.

Telecommunicators start at $40,250 annually and must handle emergency calls while simultaneously dispatching responders.

The five new telecommunicators, listed at an hourly compensation of $19.35, according to the latest county monthly personnel report are: Nicholas Colianni, Destiny Gonzalez, Cassidy Hudock, Krista Masterstefone and Alyssa Ruzzano.

More hirings

The remaining 15 new workers, their positions and hourly compensation, the April personnel report said, are: Nancy Allan, Children, Youth and Families (CYF) clerk typist, $17.43; Molly Ank, Aging Agency care manager 1, $20.12; Thomas Cook, Aging Agency care manager 3, $23.33; Nicholas Ganz and Domonique Kinds, deputy sheriffs, $17.97; Kenayah Kisic, probation services administrative aide, $15.53; Matthew Laporte, CYF fiscal technician, $18.23; Joan Leban, CYF caseworker 1, $20.91; David Lewis, emergency management planning specialist, $18.46; Jeremy Marmolejo, courts help desk technician, $25.55; Nadine Parnther, Aging Agency clerk typist, $15.01; Magdeline Vazquez, domestic relations receptionist/clerk, $14.35; Keith White, probation officer, $23.08; Kayla Will, probation services administrative aide, $15.53; and Nicole Psaila, part-time assistant public defender, $41.93.

In addition to these new hirings, past worker Joseph Dessoye was rehired as a CYF attorney at $23.90 per hour, it said.

Departures

Sixteen workers left county employment in April, the report said.

Three employees retired: Maria Benfante, Aging Agency care manager 2; Thomas Wall, prison captain; and John Brawley, prison lieutenant.

The following workers resigned: Charyl Nagy, human resources business partner; Helen Kosteva, Aging Agency part-time food service worker; Rosemary Krispin, alternate senior center operator; Robert McAllister, Mental Health/Developmental Services program specialist 2; Tori Lavelle, CYF caseworker 1; Justine Love, prison nurse; Richard Naprava, district attorney’s office detective; Evan Newell, deputy sheriff; Johnathan O’Dell, IT information technician; Danielle Stair, prothonotary clerk 3; Nicole Trout, prothonotary clerk 5; and Casey Kusma, prison corrections officer.

One termination was listed on the report of Rachel Gonzalez, a public defender’s office clerk/stenographer.

Position changes

Six workers changed positions in April through the internal merit hiring process, the report said.

These employees, their new positions and hourly compensation, are: Jessica Adametz, human resources business partner, $27.18; Lauren Colianni, DA’s Office opioid outreach coordinator, $21.79; Zachary Hill, community development office deputy director, $34.36; Kristina Jordan, office of human services operations manager, $31.79; Ryan Thomas Kane, 911 PSAP supervisor, $25.64; and Andrew Watkins, 911 PSAP supervisor, $23.58.

Council

County council will hold a voting meeting and work session starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

Instructions for the remote attendance option will be posted under council’s online public meetings section at luzernecounty.org.

Study commission

The county’s government study commission will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

The seven-citizen commission is drafting a revised county home rule charter for voters to consider adopting in November.

A link to attend the meeting remotely will be posted under council’s online meeting section (scroll down) at luzernecounty.org.

Programs to help homeless families and veterans are up for discussion at Tuesday’s Luzerne County Council work session, according to the agenda.

County Children, Youth and Families (CYF) is working with outside entities to find housing for homeless families — a problem that has increased largely due to rising rents for privately-owned apartments and waiting lists for public housing, said county Human Services Division Head Megan Stone.

Stone said she’s observed one-bedroom, non-luxury apartments listed at $1,500 per month in the county, and larger ones with two or more bedrooms needed for those with children are more expensive and out of reach for many.

“That’s the struggle,” Stone said.

According to Tuesday’s agenda, council will discuss a proposed memorandum of understanding between the county and Nanticoke UAW Housing Co. that would provide some housing preference at its 76-unit Eastside Apartments complex in Nanticoke to homeless families referred by the county agency.

Eastside Apartments is owned and operated by the Region Nine Housing Corporation, a nonprofit that was founded by members of Region 9 of the United Auto Workers in 1970 to provide subsidized housing to low-income families, seniors and those with disabilities, according to online information.

The memorandum on Tuesday’s agenda would provide housing preference to county-referred families for every fifth vacancy that occurs at the complex, the agenda said.

Eastside Apartments receives funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the agenda said.

In the last year, county CYF has received referrals from 532 families seeking assistance with housing-related issues, the agency said.

County officials had previously approved a homeless housing project with the nonprofit Keystone Mission that would have provided $312,400 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to lease and remodel space to create apartments for four homeless families in Wilkes-Barre.

However, Stone said that is no longer a feasible option for her agency because the rent that had been presented would be too high for families seeking assistance through county CYF.

Justin Behrens, who oversees the Keystone Mission, said the homeless housing apartment project is still being completed regardless of whether county CYF participates. He said Keystone Mission will use its own funds to finish the project, noting his nonprofit did not receive the full American Rescue allocation from the county.

Behrens previously served as Keystone Mission executive director and said he returned in an unpaid capacity about a month ago because the oversight position was vacant.

The apartments will be in a leased building at 64 E. Union Street in the Thomas C. Thomas complex in Wilkes-Barre. Keystone Mission already leases space in an adjacent structure at the complex for its Innovation Center for Homeless and Poverty at 90 E. Union St.

Behrens said the homeless count is dramatically increasing. His facility had approximately 40 to 50 people when he first returned a month ago, and the number seeking shelter is now in the 100 to 120 range, he said. The lion’s share are from Northeastern Pennsylvania and not other states, he added.

“I don’t have room for all these people,” Behrens said.

He expressed a determination to return to a “solution focused” approach that will require those seeking help to obtain skills to support themselves.

Veterans

In the program for veterans, the county is considering expanding a real estate property tax exemption program for all honorably discharged military veterans permanently disabled in the line of duty.

The exemption is currently available only to veterans disabled during a period of war.

Prior county veteran affairs director James Spagnola had pushed for the program last year, citing increasing statewide discussion about the unfairness of excluding veterans who are 100% disabled due to their service solely because they were not enlisted during a war.

Attorneys at the state determined counties have the ability to grant the exemption without the wartime requirement, and a few counties already implemented the change, including neighboring Lackawanna County, he had said.

As of last year, approximately 763 Luzerne County veterans were participating in the tax exemption because they served during wartime.

The state requires veterans to be “100% total and permanently disabled” and meet annual income limits to receive an exemption, officials have said.

Work session details

Council must vote on work session items at a future meeting for them to take effect.

Tuesday’s work session follows a 6 p.m. voting meeting at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

Instructions for the remote attendance option are posted under council’s public online meetings link at luzernecounty.org.

Authorization for Luzerne County to purchase the historic former train station in downtown Wilkes-Barre for $615,000 is up for discussion at Tuesday’s county council work session, according to the agenda released Friday.

A council majority would have to grant approval at a future meeting for purchase of the 154-year-old landmark to proceed.

Council’s Real Estate Committee had unanimously agreed in February to allow the administration to negotiate the potential purchase. The committee said the full 11-member council must vote to proceed if the administration negotiated an acceptable price and wanted to submit a formal purchase offer.

Owned by Market Square Properties Development LLC, the 4,000-square-foot station on Wilkes-Barre Boulevard had been listed for sale at $625,000.

The county is interested because its tourism office, Visit Luzerne County, has been housed inside the train station since February 2022.

County council had approved the leasing of 2,100 square feet inside the station for the county tourism office in April 2021, agreeing to pay $32,400 annually for five years, with the option to renew for two additional three-year terms.

“Given the existing lease agreement, purchasing the building could stabilize the county’s long-term occupancy costs and prevent potential relocation disruptions,” Tuesday’s work session agenda said.

If the purchase is authorized, the county would pay cash using miscellaneous county community development office funds, it said.

The agenda provides the following argument in favor of a purchase:

“Constructed in 1868 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, the train station is a significant architectural and cultural asset. Since February 2022, Luzerne County has rented the building for use as our Visitor’s Bureau and looks to purchase the building to further highlight our county and improve guest relationships by promoting and celebrating Luzerne County’s history, activities and attractions. There is future development potential as well as contributing to the revitalization of downtown Wilkes-Barre.”

Denial of a purchase would result in “no control over rent increases or building use, potentially resulting in relocation of the tourism office with less visibility of Luzerne County history,” it said.

The train station parcel includes 30 parking spots, officials have said.

Market Square Properties purchased the 6.36-acre station complex in June 2016 for $1.2 million from the county Redevelopment Authority, which had purchased the property in 2006 from businessman Thom Greco for $5.8 million.

Prior county commissioners had authorized federal community development funds for the county Redevelopment Authority purchase. With no funds to develop the site, the authority sold the property to Market Square.

Market Square already sold two parcels in the complex and recently completed a subdivision that allows the train station portion to be sold separately.

Developer George Albert, of Market Square Properties, recently said plans are in the works to bring a Starbucks and credit union to other parcels in the station complex.

Tuesday’s council work session follows a 6 p.m. voting meeting at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions for the remote attendance option will be posted under council’s public online meetings section at luzernecounty.org.

Luzerne County is not poised to assume ownership of the vacant State Correctional Institution at Retreat in Newport Township and its access bridge as stated by a candidate in the county council race, county Manager Romilda Crocamo said Thursday.

Crocamo did not identify the candidate but addressed the matter in a statement about candidate misstatements.

The state closed SCI Retreat in June 2021.

“Years ago, county officials toured the Retreat facility, and it was determined then — and remains the determination — that the Retreat facility is not a viable option for the county,” Crocamo’s statement said. “I will say unequivocally, Luzerne County is not buying the Retreat facility.”

Accessible by a steel bridge off Route 11, the 264-acre SCI Retreat property also falls in Union and Hunlock townships, state information says. There are 23 structures totaling 303,900 square feet, including a maintenance garage, boiler plant, superintendent’s residence, farmhouse, paint and carpentry shops, service building, cannery, education center, administrative buildings, warehouse, guard shacks, greenhouse, chapel and multiple cell blocks for inmates, it said.

The property had been suggested at times as a potential new location for a county prison complex, but the idea never took hold.

In a March report about the state’s preparations to market and sell the property, Crocamo had said a 2021 tour concluded the facility was not a feasible option for such a property.

County officials also toured the complex in 2022 amid indications the state may transfer the property to the county for $1. No takeover plan was advanced after the tour.

According to past reports, the Central Poor District of Luzerne County established an almshouse for the indigent there in 1878. A hospital for those with mental health conditions was added in 1900. The property was known as the Retreat Hospital for the Insane and Almshouse for 30 years and renamed the Retreat Mental Hospital in 1930. The county operated that facility until 1943, when it was transferred to state control.

The hospital formally closed in 1981, and it opened as a state prison in January 1988.

Due to the race for five county council seats, Crocamo said in her Thursday statement that “the air is thick with promises, opinions and, unfortunately, misstatements.”

“Candidates vying for public office often find themselves in a delicate balance between presenting their vision and navigating the complexities of the truth. Whether these misstatements stem from genuine misunderstanding or are strategically crafted for political gain, they merit our attention and scrutiny,” Crocamo said.

Unless a court ruling says otherwise, Luzerne County will be counting May 20 primary election mail ballots missing handwritten dates on the outer envelope, officials said during Wednesday’s county election board meeting.

A federal court ruling by District Judge Susan Baxter, an appointee of President Donald Trump in his first term, determined the rejection of undated or wrongly dated ballots violated the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

An appeal is pending, but the decision stands at this time because a stay was not granted, county Assistant Solicitor Gene Molino said during Wednesday’s meeting.

To be safe, the county election bureau will still segregate impacted ballots in case the appeal court rules otherwise by the election, Molino said.

Voters are instructed to sign and date the outer envelope where indicated. The date refers to when the ballot was filled out, not a birth date.

Critics have questioned the need for the date because the election bureau time-stamps the ballots when they are received and does not accept ballots that arrive after the 8 p.m. Election Day deadline.

Following state guidance, the election bureau will continue canceling ballots in the state system if they are missing outer envelope voter signatures or required inner secrecy envelopes.

County Election Director Emily Cook said ballots with missing or incorrect handwritten dates will not be canceled, but the date issue will be noted in the online ballot tracker so voters have the option to remedy the situation in case the ruling is overturned.

The ballot tracker is available at pavoterservices.pa.gov.

Those receiving alerts of ballot deficiencies will be able to appear at the election bureau to submit a new ballot or fill out a paper provisional ballot at their polling place on Election Day. Provisional ballots are reviewed last by the board to verify nobody is voting twice.

As in the past, the election board also agreed to supply lists of May 20 primary election voters with ballot defects — including date issues — to party leaders so they can attempt to contact those voters and inform them of their option to cast a provisional ballot at the polls before 8 p.m. This is known as curing.

A curing list will be provided both the day before the election and on Election Day.

Between 18,000 and 20,000 mail ballots have been issued to voters at their request, and approximately 7,000 have been returned to date, Cook estimated.

The county has two drop boxes in the lobby of county-owned buildings:

• Penn Place Building lobby, 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre — weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Broad Street Exchange Building, 100 W. Broad St., Hazleton — weekdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The county will stop accepting ballots at the Hazleton box at 4 p.m. May 19. The Penn Place box will be available until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

A box also is set up inside the election bureau on the second floor of the Penn Place Building.

The box in the Penn Place Building lobby has a camera and other added security features because the county is participating in a pilot program.

County Deputy Election Director Steve Hahn told the election board 337 ballots have been deposited in the Penn Place lobby box to date. There were 51 placed in the election bureau box and under 20 in the Hazleton box, he said.

Election Board Vice Chairwoman Alyssa Fusaro obtained verification from the election bureau that it is following the board’s chain-of-custody policy to document counts on mail ballots retrieved from drop boxes. Fusaro said the policy was not followed in some instances for the Nov. 5 general election and added, “We can’t have that issue again.”

Poll workers

The county has approximately 1,343 poll workers but still needs assistance in Kingston, Luzerne, City of Pittston and Kingston Township, Cook said.

Interested residents should contact the election bureau at 570-825-1715, she said.

Poll worker training is underway in person or through an online program, with 667 signed up for the primary, she said. Cook said the bureau is complying with a board policy requiring poll workers to complete at least one training annually.

Language authorizing Luzerne County Council to hire its own solicitor won’t be added to the proposed new home rule charter, the study commission decided this week.

The commission is preparing a revised charter that will come before voters for possible adoption in November.

County legal services are provided by a central law division in the structure that took effect in January 2012. This centralization meant attorneys would represent the county as a whole instead of “individual officers,” ending past situations of county departments battling and suing each other, charter drafters had said.

In its present review, the commission contemplated assertions that council should not be forced to rely on the county law office because the office falls under the supervision of the county manager, or executive branch. The manager must obtain council confirmation to hire the chief solicitor but not to discipline or terminate the top attorney.

The county administration has stressed the law office issues opinions solely based on its interpretation of the law and that attorneys must follow rules of professional conduct if they are faced with a conflict in any matter.

Attempting to address the matter, the commission voted last month to add a requirement for the county manager to also obtain majority council confirmation to remove the chief solicitor.

Separate from this added step, the commission considered language Monday under council’s powers and duties that would have explicitly permitted council’s hiring and oversight of a council solicitor.

During a prior discussion, some commission members had raised concerns about a council solicitor’s ability to initiate litigation against the county.

Proposed wording was added for Monday’s meeting indicating the council solicitor may provide legal advice but not initiate litigation.

However, commission Chairman Ted Ritsick made a motion to remove all added references to council’s ability to hire a solicitor.

Ritsick referred to past arguments against solicitors representing individual offices and reasoned the commission should “stay out of that” and “avoid a situation where we have multiple solicitors.”

Instead, Ritsick said the commission could encourage council in its final report to exercise its existing ability to expand council’s office of clerk if additional support is needed, which could include legal input.

The current charter said council has authority to appoint a council clerk “and such other staff as it deems desirable.”

Commission Vice Chairman Vito Malacari asked Ritsick if council would still be able to hire legal staff to help with ordinances, resolutions and other tasks.

Ritsick said additional staff members could perform legal work but not have a solicitor title.

“So essentially, it’s just keeping it the same,” said commission member Stephen J. Urban.

All six commission members in attendance approved Ritsick’s recommendation: Ritsick, Malacari, Urban, Secretary Matt Mitchell, Treasurer Cindy Malkemes and Mark Shaffer. Commission member Tim McGinley was absent Monday but has opposed the allowance of a council solicitor.

Luzerne County’s Government Study Commission wrapped up its approval of three more home rule charter sections Monday, leaving the county election board as the main issue that must be addressed before it holds a public hearing in June.

The commission is drafting a revised charter that will come before voters for possible adoption in November.

Lengthy discussion is expected over the election board because there are differing views among citizens and county government officials on whether its composition should be altered or untouched.

The board provides general supervision over elections, certifies results and oversees post-election adjudication.

Prior to home rule’s implementation in January 2012, the county’s three elected commissioners served as the election board, with the court appointing substitutes during periods when sitting commissioners appeared on the ballot.

The current charter created an election board of five citizens. County council appoints four of the five — two Democrats and two Republicans. Those four council-appointed members then select someone of any affiliation, or no affiliation, to fill the fifth seat and also serve as chair.

The study commission decided Monday it will hold a required public hearing on its proposed charter June 17. It has scheduled five more meetings before the hearing, including two added Monday.

Commission Vice Chairman Vito Malacari emphasized the panel will have the option to alter its recommendations after the public hearing based on feedback.

Term limits

A commission majority reaffirmed its decision Monday to provide a clean slate to incumbent elected officials (council, the controller and district attorney) by not counting terms prior to the new charter’s effective date toward the three-term limit.

Citing the volume of citizen complaints about this “reset,” Commission member Mark Shaffer had proposed eliminating it Monday.

However, Commission Secretary Matt Mitchell first made a motion to keep the original plan intact, receiving majority votes in support from Malacari, Commission Chairman Ted Ritsick, and Stephen J. Urban.

Shaffer and Commission Treasurer Cindy Malkemes voted no. Commission member Tim McGinley was absent.

That vote applied to the council section of the charter, which later prompted Malkemes and Shaffer to also vote against the entire section based on the reset inclusion. The remaining four commission members adopted the council section.

During a subsequent vote on the section covering the DA and controller, Shaffer again voted no, predicting the reset clause will “sink the charter.” A majority approved the section.

Resign to run

All six commission members in attendance approved wording clarifying the DA and controller resign-to-run parameters.

The current charter says the elected officials cannot file a nomination or election petition or “become a candidate” for a different elective public office unless he/she first resigns as DA or controller.

The revised wording says resignation is necessary in this situation if the DA or controller files a nomination or election petition or accepts a party’s nomination for any other elective public office.

Commission members have said clarity is warranted because the “become a candidate” description created issues when prior DA Stefanie Salavantis ran for a county judge seat.

Public comment

More than a dozen citizens submitted email public comments Monday. The lion’s share opposed the term limit reset, and several also urged the commission to keep an 11-member county council instead of the majority-approved recommendation to switch to seven seats.

Dallas resident Diane Dreir said the county’s population and budget size warrant a council of 11 “instead of concentrating power and control in a smaller group.”

Prior election board member Denise Williams, a county council candidate, said the term limit reset and council size reduction would prompt her to vote no on the charter.

County Council members Jimmy Sabatino and Brittany Stephenson also strongly urged the commission to preserve the 11-member structure.

“An 11-member Council allows for broader representation and more meaningful engagement with constituents. It ensures that a wider range of voices are heard in deliberations, which leads to better policy outcomes and more public trust in the process,” Sabatino wrote. “Shrinking the council to seven would make it harder for smaller communities and underrepresented groups to have a seat at the table.”

Stephenson said 11 members ensures “that a wider array of voices and communities have a presence in local decision-making.”

“With new responsibilities being considered for council, reducing its size would place an even heavier burden on fewer people, making thoughtful governance harder, not easier,” Stephenson wrote. “More duties require more hands, more perspectives, and more collaboration. Keeping the 11-member format gives Luzerne County the best chance at responsive, balanced, and forward-thinking leadership.”

Monday is the registration deadline to vote in the May 20 primary election.

Information is available on the election page at luzernecounty.org.

While primary elections are generally limited to Republicans and Democrats, voters of any affiliation or no affiliation in Nanticoke and Hazleton will be permitted to vote on referendums on the May 20 ballot.

Nanticoke voters will vote on a referendum asking if the city’s home rule charter should be amended to eliminate a consecutive, three-term limit for city council members.

Hazleton voters will decide if they want to convene a seven-member government study commission to examine the city’s existing structure and, if warranted, draft and recommend a home rule charter. Study commission candidates also will be simultaneously selected, although they will only be seated if the referendum passes.

According to the most recent state data, 203,216 county residents are registered to vote.

• 90,315 Republicans

• 84,186 Democrats

• 28,715 with no affiliation or other affiliations

Bridge award

Luzerne County has awarded a $546,035 contract to Don E. Bower Inc. to complete multiple bridge repair projects in Union Township, according to a recent county website posting.

The project includes a culvert replacement on Hontz and Browns roads, a culvert rehabilitation on Belles Hill Road and roadway and guiderail improvements on Thorn Hill Road, the contract said.

Don E. Bower was the low bidder, and the project must be completed by March 25, 2026, it said.

Alfred Benesch and Associates is the project engineer.

The project will be covered by Community Development Block Grant funds, the posting on the county website said.

New office

The county Veteran Affairs office is holding a public open house Friday, May 9, in its new location at 61 Water St. in Wilkes-Barre.

The open house will run from noon to 2 p.m.

Veteran Affairs had been housed in the county’s West Side Annex on Wyoming Avenue in Forty Fort since 2017.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo said the administration wanted to return Veteran Affairs to the county seat.

The Water Street structure now occupied by Veteran Affairs, which resembles a residential structure, is near the county prison and had been used for training by the county correctional services division.

Veterans should contact the office at 570-706-3960 if they have questions about the relocation or services.

Study commission

The county’s government study commission will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, May 5, in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

The seven-citizen commission is drafting a revised county home rule charter for voters to consider adopting in November.

A link to attend the meeting remotely will be posted under council’s online meeting section (scroll down) at luzernecounty.org.

Election Board

The county’s five-citizen Election Board will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, in the county courthouse.

A link for remote attendance will be posted under council’s authorities/boards/commissions online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.

Plains Township resident Gerald Cross made one last push against shrinking Luzerne County Council in a proposed new charter that will come before voters for possible adoption in November, but a study commission majority still chose to stick with the original reduction from 11 to seven members.

Cross understands the rationale behind the current charter in effect since 2012 because he was executive director of the Pennsylvania Economy League when it served as a consultant to the commission of citizens that drafted it. A nonpartisan/nonprofit public policy organization, the league is serving as a consultant for the current commission, although Cross is retired and has been regularly speaking as a taxpaying resident.

Drafters of the current charter chose a larger council so more people would be involved in decisions. Those seeking approval from council must convince a majority of at least six.

Cross said last week the current council size provides greater representation and dilutes the “concentration of political power” and influence of each member.

As the commission nears completion of its work, it must issue a final report explaining the reasons for proposed changes, Cross said. He questioned how the commission will justify its recommendation to increase the power of individual council members, reduce elected representation and change a council size that he believes has contributed to the charter’s acknowledged success.

Five commission members had voted on the council reduction to seven last November: Ted Ritsick, Cindy Malkemes, Matt Mitchell, Mark Shaffer and Stephen J. Urban.

The two remaining commission members — Vito Malacari and Tim McGinley — voted against that reduction, with Malacari supporting nine council members and McGinley for keeping 11.

Majority support weakened last week but still dominated when the commission voted on Malacari’s motion to reduce council to nine members instead of seven.

Malkemes changed her prior position and supported Malacari’s motion last week along with Malacari and McGinley. After listening to multiple presentations on the matter from Cross, Malkemes said his points “made a lot of sense.”

The four others voted to keep the reduction to seven members — Ritsick, Mitchell, Shaffer and Urban.

Malacari cited the concerns raised by Cross about less representation and a greater concentration of political power. The proposed charter attempts to increase council’s workload and involvement, which would be more challenging if four seats are cut, he said. He also expressed a fear that such a sizeable reduction will weaken council’s check-and-balance legislative role and result in council relying increasingly on the executive branch.

Shaffer said he still supports seven and believes council members “could be more efficient with their time.”

“I think the one mandate that we had as body was to reduce the number of members of council,” Shaffer argued. “I think going from 11 to nine is just not a significant enough change for people to vote for this charter. I think if we want people to vote for this charter, we have to have something that we can like nail down that we did this, that this is what you’re voting for.”

To bolster his position, Shaffer said he learned Los Angeles County has a five-member Board of Supervisors.

“I think that we can manage with seven just fine,” Shaffer said.

Urban, a prior councilman seeking re-election, said he believes a smaller council can handle the workload and remain part-time, noting in his opinion that council agendas have been “very light” this year.

“I think seven is a good number. I think it’s a workable number. I think it would allow people to work in a more harmonious way, more together,” Urban said.

Council also can hire more workers to help the council clerk, if needed, to provide additional support, Urban said.

McGinley said nine would be better than seven, but he respects the expertise of Cross and fears any reduction would have negative effects, with fewer people involved in researching and vetting decisions.

After last week’s vote, McGinley said he was struggling to understand the opposing vote after hearing the points made by Cross.

“It doesn’t make sense to me. I’m sorry. I respect everyone’s vote. But I really think that this is a key element,” McGinley told his fellow commission members.

Luzerne County’s Government Study Commission received a flurry of citizen email complaints Thursday about its proposal to erase past terms of elected officials when tallying the three-term limit.

The citizen commission is drafting a revised county home rule charter for voters to consider adopting in November.

Term limits apply to the county’s elected council, district attorney and controller.

A commission majority voted in March to keep the three-term limit in the current charter but not count elected or appointed terms of two years or less toward the limit. It also voted to provide a clean slate to incumbents by not counting terms prior to the new charter’s effective date toward the three-term limit — the decision that prompted complaints Thursday.

The commission plans to vote again on the clean slate provision at its next meeting Monday to determine if a majority wants to proceed as planned or eliminate it.

The greatest impact of the clean slate provision would be on county District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce.

More than four years were cut from the maximum Sanguedolce can serve under the current charter because he was initially appointed and then elected to partial terms when predecessor Stefanie Salavantis resigned to run for county judge. Sanguedolce was elected to his first full four-year term in November 2023.

Under the recommendation approved in March, the DA would be eligible to seek three more four-year terms.

Thirteen citizens submitted email comments opposing a reset in calculating term limits and/or expressing strong support for term limits.

“Term limits exist so that new voices can be heard, and they are essential to fair representation and accountability. It goes against the purpose of term limits to reset simply because we have a new charter,” wrote Helen Davis, of Wright Township.

John Sudol, of Pittston, said the resetting of term limits “is an idea that only benefits government officials. This is not an action that benefits the county citizens as a whole.”

In addition, Beth Gilbert, of In This Together NEPA, emailed a letter about a survey completed by 1,282 county voters that found 90.8% opposed resetting term limits for current elected officials.

Gilbert said the survey was sent to all 124,882 county voters with cell phone numbers available.

According to Gilbert, the survey also found a majority of respondents preferred some or all council members to be elected by districts and supported continuing the county ethics commission.

If the proposed charter includes a reset of term limits and elimination of the ethics commission, 75.7% of survey respondents said they would be unlikely or very unlikely to support it, Gilbert said.

Commission Chairman Ted Ritsick said he has extensive experience with surveys as a professional planner and replied that In This Together would have to release the entire survey results before he could assess if it was conducted in a format that yields accurate conclusions.

For example, he said he knows of numerous Democrats who received the survey on Monday and Republicans who did not receive it until Wednesday, providing them with less time to respond. He also questioned if the survey response pool was large enough.

Regarding districts, the commission voted in February to continue electing all council members countywide instead of carving out regional zones for some or all seats. The primary concern was that council members are supposed to base decisions on the county as a whole, not a zone.

The commission revisited the topic Thursday but decided to stick with its original plan of no districts.

Ritsick had performed extensive research on potential district maps earlier this year but said Thursday the commission does not have time to pursue that option if the panel wants to put its proposed charter on the ballot in November.

The ethics commission recommendation was approved last month. The study commission’s charter will require council to keep an ethics commission and code.

Under this plan, council would have to vote within nine months to either ratify or amend the existing ethics code. The existing ethics commission structure would remain in effect if council does not approve a new composition. The commission is currently composed of the county district attorney, manager, controller and two council-appointed citizens (one Democrat and one Republican).

State Rep. Jamie Walsh issued a lengthy statement Thursday responding to Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo’s “allegations regarding the recent court filing.”

Crocamo placed a scrolling red banner on the county’s website this week to inform voters that Walsh’s election-related litigation, which was dismissed by a federal judge Monday, cost county taxpayers $104,802 to date.

Walsh, R-Ross Township, filed the suit in October to challenge the county’s processing of 2024 general election voter registration and mail ballot applications.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann in Pennsylvania’s Middle District said in his opinion that Walsh lacked standing because county “election practices could not possibly have caused him any injury as an unopposed and successful candidate for office.”

Walsh, a Republican, won the 117th Legislative District seat in the 2024 general election and was unopposed.

Crocamo had said the judge’s decision “not only underscores the importance of judicial integrity but also highlights the frivolous nature of the claims made in the lawsuit.” She said Walsh should apologize to taxpayers and “take responsibility by repaying the county for the costs incurred in defending against this baseless lawsuit.”

Walsh has asserted the county increased the cost and duration of the litigation by seeking a venue change from the county Court of Common Pleas to federal court. County legal counsel said the change was sought due to the plaintiff’s assertion of Constitutional violations.

Walsh’s Thursday statement said he was “greatly disappointed by the unwillingness of the federal court” to hear the claims he had raised in the county filing — claims he said concerned “the unlawful conduct of Luzerne County Bureau of Elections in failing and/or refusing to timely process thousands of applications to register to vote and applications for mail-in ballots, which deprived voters of their fundamental right to vote.”

His statement continued:

“Rather than constructively address those concerns, and refusing to discuss or directly deny the facts in Mr. Walsh’s complaint, the bureau chose instead to remove the case to federal court and seek dismissal on the basis of a legal technicality called lack of standing, which is an argument not that the facts of the complaint are false, but that the person filing the complaint is not allowed to bring the suit.

“If the bureau had instead constructively addressed the concerns raised, and worked to ensure that these unlawful delays in processing applications to register to vote and applications for mail-in ballots do not deny more voters their right to vote in future elections, all of the money wasted arguing legal technicalities could have been avoided.

“Rep. Walsh was appalled to hear that the defendants assert that they ran up over $100,000 in legal costs when all they did was file motions to dismiss and briefs in support. There was not even an oral argument on the motions to dismiss and no discovery occurred in the case. The legal fees allegedly spent by the defendants dwarf those spent filing the complaint and motion for preliminary injunction and responding to the motion to dismiss.

“Unfortunately, the federal court improperly analyzed the standing issue, which is supposed to be determined as of the date of filing of the complaint. Instead, the court reviewed standing from a post-election perspective and found that Rep. Walsh was not harmed because he won the election. The court failed to give due weight to the potential, at the time the complaint was filed, for the loss of thousands of votes to cost Mr. Walsh the election. The court gave conclusive weight, without any evidence, to the mere fact that Mr. Walsh was the only candidate on the ballot. It is far from unheard of for candidates on the ballot to lose to write-in candidates, and the potential for harm in the 2024 general election as well as the potential for harm in future elections where Rep. Walsh may not be the only candidate on the ballot, should have been recognized by the court as a sufficient harm to Rep. Walsh to give him standing to raise the claims at issue.

“While some have attempted to smear the lawsuit as ‘frivolous,’ the federal court made no comment on the merits of the underlying facts of the lawsuit and did not call the claims ‘frivolous’ or any other such term. Such assertions that the lawsuit was ‘frivolous’ should be met with follow up questions as to the underlying facts. It is unclear whether anyone other than Rep. Walsh has ever demanded an answer to why the applications were delayed and what if anything is being done to prevent a repeat of these problems in the future. If the lawsuit were truly frivolous, the defendants could simply state that there were no such delays, but they know that the unlawful delays in fact occurred.

“There remains time for appeal, but a decision has not been made whether to appeal the improper decision to dismiss for lack of standing. Whether or not Rep. Walsh appeals, he hopes that the Luzerne County Board of Elections holds the Bureau of Elections accountable for their failures to timely process applications for voter registrations and mail-in ballots in the 2024 general election and takes steps to ensure these unlawful delays do not repeat in future elections. There has been no accountability for the failure to process the applications within the time frames set forth in the relevant statutes. Instead, there has been steadfast resistance, at significant taxpayer expense, to do anything to acknowledge, address or correct these problems.”