Luzerne County’s Election Bureau has authorized the issuance of Nov. 4 general election mail ballots, which means they should be in the hands of voters who requested them within a week, county Election Director Emily Cook said Thursday.

Approximately 25,000 voters have requested mail ballots, Cook said.

Mail ballots must be physically in the election bureau by 8 p.m. on Nov. 4, and postmarks do not count.

Drop boxes also will be set up inside two county-owned properties — the Penn Place Building in Wilkes-Barre and the Broad Street Business Exchange in Hazleton — for voters who prefer that option instead of mailing them. Cook said she will soon announce the hours and dates the drop boxes will be available.

Mail voters receive instructions, a ballot, a yellow secrecy envelope and a white outer return envelope that contains the voter’s name and a label with a bar code that, when scanned, identifies that voter in the state’s database. The yellow secrecy envelope says, “official election ballot.”

After filling out their ballot, voters must place it in the yellow envelope, seal it and then put that envelope inside the one with the label/bar code to be returned to the county.

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

Ballots can be thrown out if voters don’t follow these rules, except for the one involving the handwritten date.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a federal judge’s ruling concluding that mail ballots cannot be invalidated due to issues with the handwritten date on exterior envelopes.

District Judge Susan Baxter, an appointee of President Donald Trump in his first term, had determined the rejection of undated or wrongly dated ballots violated the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The need for a date has been questioned because the election bureau timestamps the ballots when they are received and does not accept ballots that arrive after the 8 p.m. Election Day deadline.

Mail ballot voters also should not:

• Write anything on the outside of the secrecy envelope, especially names or identifying marks.

• Select more than the specified number of candidates.

• Staple or place stickers on the ballot or inner/outer envelopes, particularly over the bar code.

Ballot ovals should be fully shaded and not marked with an X, a slash or by circling. Black or blue ink can be used, although county officials have said black is preferred.

To cast a write-in vote for a person whose name is not on the ballot, shade in the oval beside the applicable write-in line and write his/her name.

Under state law, voters are only allowed to mail or hand-deliver their own ballot unless they are serving as a designated agent for someone with a disability.

Disabled voters must fill out an official form authorizing someone to deliver their ballot for them. A copy of this designated agent form is posted at vote.pa.gov.

Voters should make a copy or photograph the completed form and give the original form to their designated agent to carry when the mail ballot is returned, in case the agent is questioned. The state has stressed this form should not be inserted in the yellow secrecy envelope.

After submission, voters can check the status of their mail ballot through the online tracker at pavoterservices.pa.gov.

Voters have until 5 p.m. on Oct. 28 to request general election mail ballots, but officials urge those interested to act sooner to ensure they receive them on time because that date is only one week before the election.

Those with questions about mail ballots, or any election matter, can contact the bureau at 570-825-1715 or by emailing [email protected].

All county voters — mail and in-person — can view the contests and referendums that will appear on their ballot Nov. 4 in advance by visiting the ballot samples section of the election page at luzernecounty.org.

Now that an unsolicited $10 million offer for Luzerne County’s rail line has been made, a key question is, which entity will receive the funds if it is sold?

The independent county Redevelopment Authority owns the rail line.

However, county government has involvement because county council appoints the five-citizen authority board, and the authority owes the county $3.28 million from a 2001 loan provided to prevent the authority from defaulting on its mortgage and losing freight service to businesses.

A $10 million sale could leave $6.7 million in proceeds after that loan is satisfied.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo emailed county council on Tuesday about the $10 million purchase offer from Reading & Northern Railroad, stating that all rail line sale proceeds must come to the county.

“As you are aware, the redevelopment authority owes the county approximately $3.2 million. Furthermore, I would like to point out that, according to the language of the contract, the county is entitled to any excess funds generated from the sale of the railroad,” Crocamo wrote.

She continued: “If the redevelopment authority were to reject this position, the redevelopment authority board members would be breaching their fiduciary obligation, which could result in their removal.”

Authority board Chairman Scott Linde said Wednesday that a determination about the recipient of net proceeds “is a legal conclusion that would have to be litigated.”

Authority Solicitor Peter P. O’Donnell said Wednesday he cannot comment on the matter until he discusses it with the authority board.

The parties already have an active suit in the county Court of Common Pleas because the county filed an action over the outstanding loan, which seeks appointment of a receiver to preside over the rail property or a declaration that the $3.28 million is immediately due, terminating the agreement.

Both defendants — the authority and nonprofit Rail Corp., which manages the rail operator agreement — have filed responses asserting there is no loan default at this time because the county’s repayment extension document sets an October 2026 deadline for the authority to repay the county at zero interest.

Regarding the question of a sale windfall recipient, the borrowing note between the county and both defendants said the parties “agree that all net proceeds from any sale of the real estate and the proceeds of any lease shall be the sole property of the County of Luzerne even if that sum should exceed the principal amount of this loan.”

In theory, the authority could rid itself of the note and its provisions by selling the rail property and paying off the county loan. However, the note also says the authority must notify the county of any sale or lease within at least 15 days and cannot sell or lease property without the county’s “prior written consent to the terms and conditions of the sale or lease.”

Other interpretations could surface based on legal analysis of all documents involved in the loan transaction.

The authority board’s next regularly scheduled meeting is on Oct. 21.

Reading & Northern Railroad Chairman and CEO Andy M. Muller Jr. sent Linde a communication this week offering to pay $10 million to purchase the line, saying he is committed to increasing freight service and adding passenger train excursions from Wilkes-Barre to Pittston. These are not commuter routes and would connect Wilkes-Barre to popular tourism train rides, such as existing excursions from Pittston to historic Jim Thorpe.

Linde said last week the “general agreement” among board members involved in overseeing the line is that a fair and open solicitation is necessary to explore all options for a potential lease or purchase. As many as eight other rail operators have expressed interest in buying or leasing some or all of the line, he has said.

County council authorized the litigation in July. While the delinquent loan was stated as a reason, it appears to be part of a broader county push to put the track into private ownership, with the hope that it would add passenger excursions while retaining and building commercial use. Some authority representatives have advocated keeping the line in public ownership.

The approximately 55-mile county rail line passes through the Pittston, Wilkes-Barre and Hanover Township areas.

Reading & Northern Railroad — the company interested in bringing passenger train excursion service to Wilkes-Barre — is offering to pay $10 million to purchase Luzerne County’s rail line, according to a letter.

Company Chairman and CEO Andy M. Muller Jr. made the offer in a letter sent by regular mail and email Monday to Scott Linde, board chairman of the county Redevelopment Authority, which owns the line.

Separate from a purchase, Muller has publicly discussed his intent to invest millions of dollars in private funds to improve the line, including at least $2 million to upgrade the 8-mile line between Pittston and Wilkes-Barre to accommodate excursions from Wilkes-Barre to Jim Thorpe.

Muller’s communication said he read media coverage that the authority is considering publicly seeking proposals from entities interested in purchasing or long-term leasing of its rail assets.

While that request-for-proposals is still under development, Muller’s letter said Reading & Northern is “pleased to make this offer to purchase ALL of the Redevelopment Authority’s property interests for TEN MILLION DOLLARS.”

Reading & Northern is prepared to immediately enter into sale negotiations and is willing to close prior to the expiration of the existing rail operator lease, the letter said. R.J. Corman Railroad Group recently received a contract extension to continue serving as county rail line operator through October 2026.

“We stand ready and willing to meet with the RDA and other entities in Luzerne County in order to bring tourism to Wilkes-Barre and improved local service to this region of Luzerne County.”

Muller’s letter said his company is “prepared to bring its award-winning passenger excursion service to Wilkes-Barre, but only if we are able to reach an agreement to purchase the line.”

“As we have previously explained to you and the RDA, and most recently to your operator R.J. Corman, we cannot operate passenger service safely over the tracks in their current condition. We estimate it will cost at least $2 million just to bring the passenger tracks needed to connect to our Pittston Yard up to proper safety standards. And we cannot do that work while someone else owns the underlying property,” his letter said.

In addition to constructing a passenger platform station at property it already purchased near the county-owned former historic train station in Wilkes-Barre, Reading & Northern would build a station in Pittston’s downtown as part of the proposal to acquire the line, Muller has said.

His offer letter committed to providing “exceptional freight service” using Reading & Northern’s large Pittston freight yard as the operations base, which has crews and locomotives available around the clock.

“R&N intends to restore traffic levels to where they were three years ago and to aggressively market the line for growth,” it said.

It also intends to use the Ashley Rail Yards property to attract manufacturers that need rail and that will hire local county residents, the letter said. This property is approximately 80 acres and located behind the tract where the Huber Breaker once stood in Ashley.

In closing, Muller said his company commits to “NEVER abandoning service to any location on the active operating lines” and to “NEVER selling any of the active operating lines.”

These points are aimed at addressing past resistance from authority board members to put the line back in private hands.

Linde said last week the “general agreement” among board members involved in overseeing the line is that a fair and open solicitation is necessary to explore all options. As many as eight other rail operators have expressed interest in buying or leasing some or all of the line, he said.

Linde said Tuesday he sincerely appreciates Muller’s offer.

“We need to complete request-for-proposals process as soon as possible so his offer can be formalized as part of a process that is open to everyone,” Linde said.

The county wanted the authority to turn over the railroad so it could be sold to recoup $3.28 million still owed from a 2001 loan prior commissioners had provided to the authority so it would not default on its mortgage and risk losing infrastructure that services businesses, letters show.

While the delinquent loan was stated as a reason, it appears to be part of a broader county push to put the track into private ownership, with the hope that it would add passenger rail service while retaining and building commercial use.

An ownership transfer to the county did not materialize, prompting a county council-authorized suit in July against the redevelopment authority, which owns the line, and the nonprofit Rail Corp., which maintains a lease agreement with the rail operator.

The county suit seeks the appointment of a receiver to preside over the mortgaged property and real estate, an order staying any sale or lease of rail property without the county’s prior written consent and an award of attorney’s fees and court costs, it said. Another option would be a declaration that the more than $3 million is immediately due and/or that the loan agreement is terminated, it said.

Both the authority and Rail Corp., which is governed by a seven-member board that includes all five authority board members, have filed litigation responses arguing there is no loan default to act upon because the county’s repayment extension document requires the authority to repay the county at zero interest by October 2026.

Unless an amicable resolution is reached, both sides must wait until August 2026 for the trial.

The approximately 55-mile county rail line passes through the Pittston, Wilkes-Barre and Hanover Township areas.

Two ethics complaints in limbo since June can be unsealed and processed because Luzerne County’s ethics commission appointed Attorney Qiana Murphy Lehman on Tuesday.

Murphy Lehman had resigned in May and recently expressed an interest in returning.

Under the county council-adopted ethics code, complaints must be opened and initially reviewed by an outside enforcement attorney contracted by the commission.

The code requires a panel of three attorneys who are not employed by the county and are selected through a public solicitation. They are supposed to be assigned on a rotating basis as complaints are lodged as an added check and balance, the code states. However, the three-attorney requirement is often unmet due to recruitment challenges, commission members have said.

Because Murphy Lehman was the lone enforcement attorney when she resigned in May, the complaints filed after her departure could not be unsealed and reviewed.

The commission had voted last month to keep publicly advertising the enforcement attorney post until all three positions are filled.

Attorney Nesta N. Johnson, principal of Nesta Rose Consulting in Wilkes-Barre, also has submitted a proposal seeking appointment.

Commission members agreed Tuesday they will publicly interview Johnson and vote on her appointment during their next meeting, tentatively scheduled for Oct. 16.

Enforcement attorneys are paid $225 per hour, with an annual cap of $25,000.

The solicitation seeking attorneys is posted in the county purchasing section at luzernecounty.org.

Four of five commission members approved the reinstatement of Murphy Lehman Tuesday, with several citing her past successful performance in the post: District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce, county Administrative Services Division Head Jim Rose and council-appointed citizens Ben Herring and Jay Notartomaso.

Commission Chairman Walter Griffith, the county’s controller, said he won’t vote for any attorneys because the decision was made to pay them from the county law office budget instead of allocating a separate budget for the commission.

Griffith said he will immediately contact Murphy Lehman so she can start processing the complaints.

Enforcement attorneys must recommend whether complaints should be dismissed or upgraded to formal complaints heard by the commission. This separation of duties was imposed after critics questioned the legality of the commission both investigating and adjudicating cases.

Complaint details are typically confidential unless the matter results in a commission finding or the complaint filer discloses the matter.

While the lack of an enforcement attorney has been addressed for now, Griffith said he has asked council’s code review committee to consider a proposed change recommended by the commission last month.

Commission members want council authorization to ask the county law office to appoint an attorney to unseal and perform an initial review of complaints if the commission has no enforcement attorney.

Luzerne County is seeking bids for two major improvements at the county-owned Wyoming Valley Airport as the administration seeks funds to cover projected cost increases.

Council had earmarked $7 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for capital improvements at the 110-acre airport in Forty Fort and Wyoming, including the new hangars and fuel tanks now out for bid.

This was the first significant capital investment made at the complex in decades, council members have said.

However, county grants writer Michele Sparich, who has served as acting operational services division head, recently told council estimates indicate an additional $2 million could be needed to complete the project as designed.

Council has been asked to earmark an additional $451,089 in American Rescue funding toward the airport project.

This American Rescue funding is available because a $200,000 earmark for a Children, Youth and Families emergency shelter for children was halted for further research, and the county decided to cover $227,038 in repairs at the Penn Place Building through other sources.

Council is expected to vote on the additional airport allocation at its next meeting on Oct. 14.

During a recent work session discussion, county Councilman Jimmy Sabatino asked Sparich how the county will come up with the remaining $1.5 million.

Sparich said the administration expects to receive approximately $1 million through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Bureau of Aviation.

If that funding comes through, Sabatino said the county would still be “about a half a million apart,” and Sparich concurred.

Sparich said Monday the projection provided at the meeting is not set in stone because the bid responses will determine actual costs.

Bids for the hangar buildings and aviation fuel facility are due by Oct. 29.

Plans and specifications can be purchased at www.deltaairport.com, the bid postings said. Delta Airport Consultants Inc. is handling engineering and planning for the projects.

American Rescue projects must be completed by the end of 2026 to comply with federal regulations.

Sparich told council the administration is working with Delta to ensure that deadline is met.

“Believe me, we are trying to keep as much to the original cost as we can,” Sparich said.

County officials have said more funding was needed because Delta identified additional costs associated with the projects.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo reiterated the work is more involved because the airport is near the flood plain and contains wetlands.

“We want to make sure the project is done right the first time,” she said Monday.

The airport project is part of a countywide push to invest in capital projects as funds are identified, Crocamo said.

“We want infrastructure that is compatible and welcoming to future development,” Crocamo said.

New hangars were included in the project because the 1930s ones are deteriorating and too small for today’s airplanes, officials have said.

Valley Aviation Inc., the airport’s longtime fixed base operator, has said it routinely receives inquiries from pilots and companies interested in parking their planes there if space becomes available.

A new above-ground jet fuel tank and dispensing area, known as a “Jet-A” facility, is needed to comply with aviation requirements, a Valley Aviation representative said. The underground tank must be removed as part of the project.

In addition to serving commercial and recreational pilots, the airport is used by medevac helicopters and state police aircraft that regularly land there to fuel up without delays they encounter elsewhere. The airport also has a busy pilot training program that addresses a pilot shortage, officials have said.

The county acquired the airport in the 1940s.

Luzerne County Council candidates on the Nov. 4 general election ballot have been invited to a Tuesday evening forum sponsored by the Wilkes-Barre Area League of Women Voters.

The public event will run from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Luzerne County Community College Educational Conference Center’s large auditorium in Nanticoke.

Questions will be developed by the League.

A recording of the forum will be available later in the week on the Luzerne County YouTube channel and the League’s website, www.lwvwba.org.

No political signs will be permitted during the forum.

County voters will select five of the 10 council contenders on Nov. 4 to serve four-year terms starting in January.

The contenders are:

• Democrats: Chris Belles, Steven M. Coslett, Tony Perzia, Dawn Simmons and Denise Williams.

• Republicans: John Lombardo, Jackie Scarcella, Brian Thornton, Stephen J. Urban and Greg Wolovich.

Council members receive $8,000 annually. In addition to adopting a budget, their duties include approving larger contracts, appointing members to outside county boards, enacting codes and ordinances, confirming nominations to eight division head positions and hiring/firing and evaluating the manager.

The five council members selected in November will take office or start new terms at the start of 2026 and serve with Democrats Joanna Bryn Smith, Patty Krushnowski, Jimmy Sabatino and Brittany Stephenson and Republicans Harry Haas and LeeAnn McDermott.

Ethics Commission

Also on Tuesday, the county ethics commission will meet at 2:30 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

The commission is seeking contracted enforcement attorneys as required by the council-adopted ethics code so two complaints from June can be unsealed and processed. It voted in August to keep publicly advertising the enforcement attorney post until all three positions are filled.

A solicitation seeking proposals from attorneys has been posted on the county’s purchasing section at luzernecounty.org since Sept. 5, the site says.

Under the code, a commission-contracted outside enforcement attorney must open complaints and determine if they should be dismissed or upgraded to formal matters heard by the five-member commission. It mandates three attorneys so complaints could be assigned on a rotating basis as an extra check and balance.

The commission hasn’t had an enforcement attorney since it accepted the resignation of Attorney Qiana Murphy Lehman in May.

The recruitment of attorneys has long been a challenge. In 2017, a commission complaint remained unopened for months due to the lack of an enforcement attorney.

Tuesday’s agenda said the commission will review responses to the attorney request-for-proposals and vote to accept or reject them.

Another agenda item said the commission will discuss and vote on the reinstatement of Murphy Lehman as an enforcement attorney.

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

Honey Hole Road closure

County council unanimously voted last week to grant the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s request to temporarily close portions of county-owned Honey Hole Road in Butler Township for an Interstate 80 bridge replacement project starting in 2027.

According to the agenda, PennDOT is reconstructing the section of eastbound I-80 from the Route 309 interchange to the rest area at mile marker 270, and that project includes replacement of the eastbound and westbound bridges crossing Honey Hole Road and Nescopeck Creek.

Portions of Honey Hole Road under these bridges must be closed to replace the structures, it said. Detours are planned to accommodate the closures.

King’s College parking

In another unanimous vote, council extended a lease allowing King’s College to use the county’s upper parking lot on River Street across from the county courthouse through 2026.

Prior commissioners first enacted the parking arrangement in December 2003, with an original lease of $10,000 annually in the first decade and two additional five-year renewals at $11,000 and then $12,000 per year.

The most recent agreement was $15,000 for 2024 and $16,000 for 2025. The administration had recommended a shorter renewal in case the county identified a use for the lot, which is located between West Jackson and North streets.

King’s will pay $18,000 in 2026 under the extension.

Fund balance policy

Council also unanimously approved a policy encouraging the county to maintain a set fund balance reserve.

The administration suggested the county build and keep an unrestricted general fund balance equal to at least three months of regular expenses.

Based on finances, this three-month threshold would require a fund balance of approximately $33 million, county Budget/Finance Division Head Mary Roselle has said, emphasizing the target is fluid because operating expenses fluctuate from year to year.

The county is approaching that target because it ended 2024 with a $27 million fund balance, the outside auditor has said.

Councilman Harry Haas supported the concept after the administration verified it won’t seek tax increases for the purpose of increasing the fund balance.

Real estate

Council’s Real Estate Committee voted last week to advance the proposed sale listing of two county-owned properties to the full council for its consideration and possible approval.

The administration has suggested selling a commercial/office building in downtown Hazleton and a three-story brick structure on West Union Street in Wilkes-Barre that previously housed community development.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo told the committee the Hazleton property at 100 W. Broad St. is proposed for sale because inquiries were made by potential buyers.

Known as the Broad Street Business Exchange, that property is four stories with an attached wing and has been appraised at $2.1 million.

The county accepted ownership of the property in 2009 from the nonprofit Alliance to Revitalize Center City Hazleton because the property was headed for a delinquent tax auction. The nonprofit owners owed the county’s community development office more than $1.8 million in loans, which were at risk of remaining unpaid if the property was sold to the highest tax sale bidder.

Those community development loans remain as liens on the property, which means net proceeds from a sale would have to be applied toward the loans, officials said.

Tenants in the 44,480-square-foot structure include Luzerne County Community College, a coffee shop and a law firm.

The three-story brick Wilkes-Barre structure at 54 W. Union St. is vacant and should be sold because the county has no government use for it, Crocamo told the committee. Its appraised market value is $373,000.

If a council majority opts to list the properties, it would have to set up a format for prospective buyers to submit offers.

Penn State Extension

The Penn State Extension is holding a public demonstration in the county courthouse from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to showcase work its educators are performing throughout the county.

Each educator will host a display table featuring program highlights and educational materials demonstrating the impact of Extension programs in agriculture, youth development, nutrition, community engagement and other areas.

After a dozen years overseeing the vital Wyoming Valley Levee System along the Susquehanna River, Christopher Belleman will be retiring.

Belleman, executive director of Luzerne County’s Flood Protection Authority, recently submitted his resignation to take effect Jan. 9, saying he is “immeasurably grateful for the opportunity” to serve in the role so many years.

“It has been a privilege to work and collaborate alongside past and current board and staff members who have embraced our flood protection mission and who are committed to making a positive impact in the community,” he said in his resignation letter to the five-member authority board.

Stretching 16 miles, the levee protects about 14,200 properties in parts of Exeter, Wyoming, West Wyoming, Forty Fort, Luzerne, Pringle, Edwardsville, Plymouth, Swoyersville, Kingston, Hanover Township and Wilkes-Barre.

The levee system is more than a wall and includes 78 drainage structures, 128 relief wells, 13 pump stations and an electrical distribution system with eight substations, 27 transformers and miles of underground and aerial transmission lines, authority representatives have said.

A Kingston resident, Belleman was hired as flood authority executive director in September 2013, filling a position previously held by Jim Brozena.

Belleman has more than four decades of civil engineering experience and was already known in government because he had previously worked for the county since 2007 as an assistant county engineer before his promotion to county operational services division head in July 2013.

He said he timed his retirement at the start of 2026 “out of a sense of duty” to bring several active construction projects to the “finish line” and also provide the authority board with time to determine how it will fill the leadership void.

Belleman stressed he has purposefully worked to build procedures and expertise on staff so flood protection would never be compromised if the director position became vacant.

That includes development of the “Wyoming Valley Flood Response Plan,” which outlines the planned coordinated response that will be provided by both the independent authority and county government when the Susquehanna rises to flood stage.

Laura Holbrook has been deputy executive director since spring 2024 and previously worked as the authority’s flood mitigation specialist.

During her nearly decade working with Belleman, Holbrook said his “dedication to flood protection in this valley has never wavered.”

“He carried out his responsibilities at the Flood Protection Authority with purpose and consistently balanced the mission with fiscal responsibility,” Holbrook said. “His attention to detail and thoroughness defined his leadership and definitely sets a high standard for the authority and those who follow.”

Holbrook said she has admired Belleman’s “deep commitment to the community” and “willingness to collaborate with others on flood-related projects for the greater good.”

“Chris has been more than just a boss. He’s been a mentor, a leader and someone who treats people with genuine respect and kindness,” she said, adding that he will be missed.

Levee repairs

Belleman was at the helm when the authority wrapped up repair of levee battle scars sustained when the Susquehanna swelled to a record 42.66 feet during Tropical Storm Lee in September 2011.

The federal government picked up the $1.3 million tab to repair pumps, flood gates, relief wells, boils and other levee damage.

Belleman had walked the levee in early 2014 with representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a final inspection of repairs.

He said the federal government paid 100% of the repair costs because the authority “maintains the system in excellent condition.”

The levee also remains accredited for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood insurance program — a step necessary to prevent significant flood insurance rate hikes for property owners protected by the system, Belleman said.

Insurance increases had been proposed several years ago for the Plymouth and Wilkes-Barre/Hanover Township levee reaches because federal analysis concluded the “freeboard” safety buffer atop both levee stretches was inches below the standard 3 feet for a variety of reasons, including increased runoff to the Susquehanna from new development, a larger quantity of river sediment and tree growth and more frequent and intense storms attributed to climate change.

In response, Belleman and the authority board successfully worked to obtain a fresh Army Corps risk assessment using revised evaluation techniques that no longer deem freeboard a major determining factor.

Belleman highlighted some other significant achievements during his tenure, including:

• The fee on levee-protected properties was increased in 2017 as a stabilizing effort based on long-term capital expenditure projections, and it has not increased since then. Implemented in 2009, the fee covers levee maintenance costs and is based on the assessed value of structures, with total annual payments ranging from $63 to $1,213.

• The authority is upgrading electronic control panels at all 13 levee pump stations to replace controls that are more than 20 years old and at the end of their service life.

The pump stations have deep water wells to collect drainage from the land side of the levee when it can no longer naturally feed into the Susquehanna during a flood. The pumps lift the collected water over the levee wall and dump it onto concrete aprons into the river.

“This project will ensure the reliability of our stations for the next quarter century,” Belleman said.

• The authority partnered with Wilkes-Barre to construct a multi-use facility at Kirby Park that houses six trailers storing flood closure structures for both the Kingston and Wilkes-Barre sides of the Market Street Bridge and the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

• An abandoned property at 398 Delaney Street in Hanover Township was purchased by the authority and converted to a new downstream levee maintenance facility. It made the maintenance of the southern levee portion more efficient because crews don’t have to work solely from the maintenance garage near the authority offices in Forty Fort, he said.

Improvements also are underway at the Forty Fort maintenance facility to expand secure storage for levee equipment and vehicles.

• Ending more than 25 years of paying for leased space, the authority purchased a property at 1989 Wyoming Ave. in Forty Fort and converted it into a permanent command center and authority administration offices.

Many of the improvements were covered by $8 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding earmarked by county council.

Belleman’s resignation letter told the authority board he is “incredibly proud of what we have achieved together.”

“While I am leaving, there is still much more work to do, and I am excited about the authority’s future and its continuing development to better serve the community,” Belleman said.

WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Diane McGee, Times Leader Media Group advertising director, said the Times Leader is a leader in hosting job fairs for Northeast Pennsylvania.

This week’s career expo is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Mohegan Arena concourse.

As a media property, McGee said the Times Leader has promoted the expo through a variety of organic and paid media outlets within the market: daily newspaper ads; Timesleader.com high-impact ads; Cumulus radio, PA Live! and WBRE commercials; paid social media and programmatic advertising; targeted email blasts to local job seekers; and more.

Job seekers are ready to visit, McGee said.

“Looking at our preregistration numbers, we can see job seekers are excited and ready to see what opportunities are available,” she said. “Our recruiters are excited to engage with prospective job candidates.”

McGee also said to make sure you check out the recruitment advertising section in Sunday’s Times Leader.

“It will give you a great range of jobs that these local employers are hiring for,” she said.

If you’d like to register in advance for the expo for a chance to win prizes, go to timesleader.com/jobseeker — otherwise, we’ll see you on Tuesday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Parking and entry are free.

LEHMAN TWP. — Lake-Lehman picked up right where it left off from last weekend and rolled up 336 yards on the ground to pave the way for a 42-0 defeat of Nanticoke Area Friday night at Edward Edwards stadium.

After rushing for over 500 yards in last weekend’s win, the Black Knights (3-3) turned early and often to the ground game. Jaydon Skipalis once again led the way, totaling 163 yards on 10 carries and a pair of touchdowns, both of which came after an early fumble looked like it might keep the door open for a scrappy Trojans team in search of its first win.

With a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, Skipalis’ fumble set Nanticoke in action at its own 9-yard line. The Trojans churned out yardage behind the running of quarterback Ian Walsh and running backs Jonah Guzman and Elaiph Denson before a fourth-down stop from Lake-Lehman’s defense brought the ball back to the Black Knights.

“My biggest line I’ve used for 16 years, ‘You’ve got to make that up,” Lake-Lehman coach Jerry Gilsky said of the early miscue. “Don’t compound things, go out there and make up for it.”

Safe to say Skipalis and the rest the Knights made up for it and then some.

Lake-Lehman needed just five plays on the ensuing drive – all handoffs to Skipalis – to grind 67 yards before scoring to take a 14-0 lead to start the second quarter.

Determined to get something going on offense, the Trojans again tried to rally. Cobbling together a 13-play drive again found Nanticoke Area in Black Knight territory, only to see yet another defensive stop from Lehman when defensive back Dylan Heinrich corralled an interception.

Four plays later, Skipalis fought his way in from 34-yards out, barreling into the middle of the field before cutting to his left and hitting a second gear, out-pacing the Trojans to the end zone. A 38-yard run from Alex Smith had Lehman in front 28-0 heading into the half.

Lehman continued to apply pressure to start the second half, forcing a fumble on the kick off to start the third quarter. A 1-yard plunge from Robert Gregor in which he pushed most of his offensive line into the end zone with him set the tone for the rest of the game.

“We got in at halftime and collected everybody, and now after halftime we come out like a bat out of hell and we’re hitting hard,” Gilsky said. “Our guys have to understand it’s full speed four quarters.”

Chris Yetter drove home Lehman’s last score of the game on a sweep from 30 yards out. Defensive back Joseph Lech’s interception stopped another long Trojan drive and allowed the home team to run out the clock. Denson led the Trojans with 100 yards on seven carries.

Lake-Lehman 42, Nanticoke Area 0

Nanticoke Area `0`0`0`0 — 0

Lake-Lehman `7`21`14`0— 42

First quarter

LL — Chris Yetter 7 run (Hunter Palka kick) 9:41

Second quarter

LL — Jaydon Skipalis 9 run (Palka kick) 11:18

LL — Skipalis 39 run (Palka kick) 4:48

LL — Alex Smith 38 run (Palka kick) 1:34

Third quarter

LL — Robert Gregor 1 run (Palka kick) 11:13

LL — Yetter 30 run (Aiden Gallagher kick) 6:52

Team statistics`NA`LL

First downs`11`9

Rushes-yards`29-170`29-336

Passing yards`21 `21

Total yards`191`357

Passing`3-9-2`2-5-0

Sacked-yards lost`2-17`0-0

Punts-avg.`3-25.6`0-0

Fumbles-lost`2-1`1-1

Penalties-yards`10-58`3-25

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Nanticoke Area, Elaiph Denson 7-100, Ian Walsh 10-42, Max Leonard 3-16, Jonah Guzman 8-13, Reagan Jackson 1-(minus-1). Lake-Lehman, Skipalis 10-163, Yetter 4-81, Coldyn Harris 6-45, Smith 3-42, Damon Bond 2-3, Gregor 2-2, Anthony Magnotta 1-1, Rennen Smith 1-0, Jesse Strenfel 1-(minus-1).

PASSING — Nanticoke Area, Walsh 3-9-2-21. Lake-Lehman Magnotta 1-4-0-14, Strenfel 1-1-07.

RECEIVING — Nanticoke Area, Justin Johnson 1-23, Denson 1-5, Guzman 1-(minus-7). Lake Lehman, Jake Evans 1-14, Dylan Heinrich 1-7.

INTERCEPTIONS — Lake-Lehman, Heinrich 1-15, Joseph Lech 1-0.

MISSED FGs — none.

MOSCOW — Ask around the North Pocono sidelines, and they’ll all say the same: the Trojans love to get physical.

They got their chance with Dallas coming to town on Friday night, and they absolutely made the most of it.

The Trojans were consistent winners in the trenches, and their power run game proved unstoppable in a 35-14 win over Dallas.

Joe Briskie was the leader of the pack, running 20 times for 111 yards and three touchdowns behind an offensive line that kept the Mountaineers moving backwards all night.

“Our offensive line was doing a great job, that’s where it starts,” North Pocono coach Greg Dolhon said. “I’m very proud of our kids and how physical we play.”

North Pocono never punted, converted several long third downs and a couple of fourth downs and led 35-0 heading into the fourth quarter before Dallas was able to score two late touchdowns to avoid the shutout.

In addition to Briskie’s three rushing scores, quarterback Chase Zimmerman ran one in from four yards out, outrunning the Dallas defender to the pylon.

He took a big hit on his way into the end zone, but the junior signal-caller wasn’t bothered.

“We’re physical, we’re big and we want to get after people,” Zimmerman said.

True to form for the 6-0 Trojans, Zimmerman wasn’t asked to throw much but made it count when he did — 182 yards passing on six completions, 159 of those yards and a touchdown coming from Cole West.

West scored the first touchdown of the night for North Pocono, beating his man down the left sideline for a 56-yard score.

Briskie’s first two touchdowns made it a 21-0 game at the half, and completed the hat trick with an 11-yard score in the third set up by a wild swing of events to open the second half.

Dallas looked to get something going out of halftime, recovering an onside kick to start around midfield.

On the first play from scrimmage, Talen Geskey’s pass was picked off by Max LaFave — the second interception of the night for LaFave.

North Pocono needed just two plays to cover the 59 yards needed to score: a long throw-and-catch from Zimmerman to West, and the Briskie touchdown to extinguish any momentum Dallas may have been building.

Mark Saracinaj and Luke Kostick scored rushing touchdowns for the Mountaineers in the fourth quarter, Bostick’s a 73 yarder that accounted for more than half of Dallas’s rushing yards total.

North Pocono (6-0) heads to Valley View next week for a key Lackawanna Conference Division 1 matchup.

Dallas (1-5) will be at home for a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 tilt against Wyoming Valley West.

North Pocono 35, Dallas 14

Dallas`0`0`0`14 — 14

North Pocono`7`14`14`0 — 35

First quarter

NP — Cole West 56 pass from Chase Zimmerman (Shane Youngblood kick) 7:23

Second quarter

NP — Joe Briskie 17 run (Youngblood kick) 10:33

NP — Briskie 2 run (Youngblood kick) 0:49

Third quarter

NP — Briskie 11 run (Youngblood kick) 11:20

NP — Zimmerman 4 run (Youngblood kick) 5:47

Fourth quarter

DAL — Mark Saracinaj 4 run (Brandon Miller kick) 11:53

DAL — Luke Kostick 73 run (David Worth kick) 5:38

Team statistics`DAL`NP

First downs`8`22

Rushes-yards`19-125`48-249

Passing yards`53`182

Total yards`178`431

Passing`5-12-2`6-10-0

Sacked-yards lost`1-3`0-0

Punts-avg.`3-34.6`0-0

Fumbles-lost`0-0`0-0

Penalties-yards`6-40`6-45

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — DAL, Sam Kelley 1-5, Talan Geskey 3-0, Mark Saracinaj 12-50, Luke Kostick 3-70. NP, Briskie 20-111, West 3-8, Aidan McGuire 4-20, Jayden Taylor 12-55, Zimmerman 2-7, Joshua Magnotta 3-32, Lawrence Abbatiello 3-11, Gavin Swartz 1-5.

PASSING — DAL, T. Geskey 5-12-2-53. NP, Zimmerman 6-10-0-182.

RECEIVING — DAL, Tyce Mason 2-23, Logan Geskey 2-31, Kelley 1-(minus-1). NP, West 5-159, Briskie 1-23.

INTERCEPTIONS — DAL, none. NP, Will LaFave 2-19.

MISSED FGs — none.

Following a Friday afternoon hearing, a three-judge panel denied the Luzerne County’s Democratic Committee’s request to add three candidates to the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

The ruling was issued by county Court of Common Pleas Judges Tina Polachek Gartley, Richard M. Hughes III and Lesa S. Gelb. Judicial panels are used in the adjudication of election matters.

The court filing stemmed from county Democratic Chairman Thomas Shubilla’s Sept. 19 request to place three candidates on the ballot due to the deaths of the prior office holders.

The party’s nominees and the seats, which would all be two-year terms:

• Rose Mary Frati, of Pittston, city treasurer;

• Anthony Guariglia, of Pittston, city council; and

• Joseph Timothy Cotter, of Dupont, Pittston Area School Board.

A county Election Board majority determined no further action would be taken because the ballot was formally approved on Sept. 17.

County Assistant Solicitor Gene Molino, who represents the election board, said the county Democratic and Republican parties would have been required to submit nominations within a required 50-day deadline, or by Sept. 15.

Because neither party acted on that option before the deadline, Molino said the two Pittston city seats and the Pittston Area School Board seat appear on the Nov. 4 ballot with no listed candidates, which means the seats will be filled through write-in selections.

Representing the committee, Pittston Attorney Peter J. Butera argued case law requires the election code to be “construed liberally” and interpret the 50-day provision as “directory, rather than mandatory.”

Butera’s filing acknowledged the county party is responsible for making nominations but faulted the “glaring inaction” of the election board and election bureau in not responding to or notifying Pittston, the Pittston Area School District or county Democratic Committee about the proper procedure.

However, Molino said in court Friday the election bureau and other county filing offices cannot provide legal advice to private citizens, municipalities and political parties. He also pointed out the committee is aware of the process because it submitted a nominee in July for a Plains Township commissioner seat vacated due to a death, and that candidate will appear on the ballot.

Regarding the argument that the law should be liberally construed, Molino pointed to last year’s Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling and Supreme Court Justice David Wecht’s concurring opinion that the plain statutory language enacted by legislators must be followed. That ruling focused on a county election court case involving provisional ballot signatures.

“Those words are just as true today as when Justice Wecht wrote them last year,” Molino’s reply brief said.

Molino told the panel the cost would be “enormous” to add the three candidates because ballot programming, proofing and testing are already completed.

Cook was called to testify on behalf of the election board and explained the lengthy and complicated process required to build and program the ballot, which contains 1,314 contests and approximately 484 candidates.

The way the system is designed, a small change in one contest could cause other ripple issues or changes elsewhere, which means proofing would have to be redone for every race on all ballots to detect potential errors, Cook testified.

Cook said the county paid $25,000 to program the ballots and approximately $110,000 for the required logic and accuracy testing — expenses that would have to be repeated to start the process over again.

Based on her time estimates to complete all additional tasks, the county could be forced to overnight ballots to mail ballot voters because they would be printed too close to the election, she said. Cook provided an estimate of $1.5 million to overnight ballots to the approximately 25,000 voters signed up for mail ballots.

On cross examination, Butera tried to make the point that Cook’s email reply acknowledging receipt of the Pittston Area School District solicitor’s Aug. 27 email about the vacancy, without further explanation, could have “misled” the solicitor into concluding the request was accepted.

A solicitation is under development to publicly seek proposals from all companies interested in buying or leasing some or all of Luzerne County’s rail line and related property assets to determine what they are willing to pay, county Redevelopment Authority Board Chairman Scott Linde said Thursday.

Reading & Northern Railroad, which operates passenger rail excursions to Jim Thorpe and other locations in the region, is interested in buying the authority-owned rail line for millions of dollars and also would invest millions of its private funds to improve the line, including at least $2 million to upgrade the 8-mile line between Pittston and Wilkes-Barre to accommodate 30-mile-per-hour passenger trips, company Chairman and CEO Andy M. Muller Jr. has said.

Muller has maintained the county can legally appraise the line and sell it to an entity without bidding.

But Linde said the “general agreement” among board members involved in overseeing the line is that a fair and open solicitation is necessary. As many as eight other rail operators have expressed interest in buying or leasing some or all of the line, he said.

A competitive proposal process is required in this situation because the public has invested millions of dollars in rail line repairs and upgrades, Linde said.

Linde emphasized he only has one vote on the five-member authority but is sharing the overall plan to keep the public informed as speculation about the future of the line plays out in the media.

The authority’s willingness to collect and consider purchase and lease offers is a significant new development because board members have advocated retaining public ownership of the line.

The county wanted the authority to turn over the railroad so it could be sold to recoup $3.28 million still owed from a 2001 loan prior commissioners had provided to the authority so it would not default on its mortgage and risk losing infrastructure that services businesses, letters show.

While the delinquent loan was stated as a reason, it appears to be part of a broader county push to put the track into private ownership, with the hope that it would add passenger rail service while retaining and building commercial use.

An ownership transfer to the county did not materialize, prompting a county council-authorized suit in July against the redevelopment authority, which owns the line, and the nonprofit Rail Corp., which maintains a lease agreement with the rail operator.

The county suit seeks the appointment of a receiver agreeable to the county to preside over the mortgaged property and real estate, an order staying any sale or lease of rail property without the county’s prior written consent and an award of attorney’s fees and court costs, it said. Another option would be a declaration that the more than $3 million is immediately due and/or that the loan agreement is terminated, it said.

However, litigation takes time. A Thursday order issued by presiding county Court of Common Pleas Judge Lesa S. Gelb said jury selection in the matter will commence on Aug. 31, 2026, barring amicable resolution of the case before then. A settlement conference was scheduled on June 25 with mediation office Attorney Benjamin Nicolosi, it said.

Both the authority and the Rail Corp., which is governed by a seven-member board that includes all five authority board members, have filed litigation responses arguing there is no loan default to act upon because the county’s repayment extension document requires the authority to repay the county at zero interest by October 2026.

The Rail Corp. recently extended an agreement for R.J. Corman Railroad Group to continue serving as county rail line operator through October 2026.

Linde, who also chairs the Rail Corp., said Thursday that work is underway on the draft solicitation seeking purchase and lease offers — known as a request-for-proposals, or RFP.

He said he is pushing to complete and release the solicitation as soon as possible. Linde said he personally will be looking for options that are in the best interest of the line while generating enough revenue to pay off the county loan by October 2026.

Linde also said he is personally open to including county council members or other county officials in the review of RFP responses and subsequent negotiations to sell or lease some or all of the line.

“That’s how I envision the process,” Linde said. “We look forward to working with the county and other stakeholders.”

State Rep. James Haddock, D-Pittston Township, who serves on the Rail Corp. board, said Thursday that a majority of board members support the solicitation.

“We have a responsibility to consider all options, and as a board member I will look at all options,” Haddock said, adding that the matter involves “heavy decisions” that “shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

Haddock said he would not support a sale or lease without a competitive process. Even if an appraisal is completed, he said competition could drive up the price beyond that amount.

“If the decision is made to sell, I would never sell something for millions of dollars with just one buyer’s quote. It’s just not proper for all the stakeholders, including taxpayers,” Haddock said.

Luzerne County Council’s Real Estate Committee voted Thursday to advance the proposed sale listing of two county-owned properties to the full council for its consideration and possible approval.

The administration has suggested selling a commercial/office building in downtown Hazleton and a three-story brick structure on West Union Street in Wilkes-Barre that previously housed community development.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo told the committee Thursday the Hazleton property at 100 W. Broad St. is proposed for sale because inquiries were made by potential buyers.

Known as the Broad Street Business Exchange, that property is four stories with an attached wing and has been appraised at $2.1 million.

The county accepted ownership of the property in 2009 from the nonprofit Alliance to Revitalize Center City Hazleton because the property was headed for a delinquent tax auction. The nonprofit owners owed the county’s community development office more than $1.8 million in loans, which were at risk of remaining unpaid if the property was sold to the highest tax sale bidder, officials said at the time.

Those community development loans remain as liens on the property, which means net proceeds from a sale would have to be applied toward the loans, officials said.

Tenants in the 44,480-square-foot structure include Luzerne County Community College, a coffee shop and a law firm.

The three-story brick Wilkes-Barre structure at 54 W. Union St. is vacant and should be sold because the county has no government use for it, Crocamo told the committee. Its appraised market value is $373,000.

If a council majority opts to list the properties, it would have to set up a format for prospective buyers to submit offers. In past sales of larger, properties such as these, the county publicly sought proposals from interested buyers. A real estate broker was also identified as an option that council could consider.

Luzerne County’s Republican Party is holding a public vigil for Charlie Kirk in Wilkes-Barre on Oct. 14 — a date selected to coincide with the birthday of the conservative activist killed in Utah, county party Chairwoman LeeAnn McDermott said Wednesday.

The vigil will include candles, speakers and music and be held on the south lawn of the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre from 6 to 9 p.m., McDermott said.

A county council meeting is also scheduled inside the courthouse at 6 p.m. that evening.

McDermott, a county councilwoman, said she is working on a security plan for the vigil. One possibility would be party payment for county sheriff deputies, she said. If that cannot be arranged, the party is also exploring private security services and other options.

“Hopefully nobody tries to ruin it,” McDermott said. “We want it to be a peaceful, uplifting fellowship vigil.”

The vigil idea came from Emerson Viars, a Slocum Township resident who served as the regional field director for the “Trump Force 47” campaign movement in 2024, McDermott said.

Viars, 21, said Wednesday that Kirk had a “huge impact” on him as a young conservative.

He said Kirk “really engulfed the American ideal of open and free debate.”

“I think he should be honored for allowing people who do not agree with him to have a voice at the microphone and for engaging the youth. He brought a lot of youth into politics and inspired a whole generation to get involved,” said Viars, who is currently working for Republican activist Scott Presler’s Early Vote Action initiative.

McDermott said she wants to provide a communal remembrance opportunity for the public.

“I think so many people are upset about this happening, including the young generation, and we want to come together and grieve,” she said.

Permits are not required for events or protests on the courthouse lawn, county officials said. Examples of past gatherings outside the south entrance include a 2024 presentation seeking restoration of county mail ballot drop boxes and a 2008 rally attempting to overturn the countywide reassessment.

Luzerne County is exploring the possible sale of two properties — a commercial/office building in downtown Hazleton and a three-story brick structure on West Union Street in Wilkes-Barre that previously housed community development.

Appraisals of both properties are on Thursday’s council Real Estate Committee meeting agenda for initial discussion. County council approval would be required at a future meeting.

In past sales of larger properties such as these, the county publicly sought proposals from interested buyers.

The property at 100 W. Broad St. in Hazleton, known as the Broad Street Business Exchange, is four stories with an attached wing. It was constructed in the 1930s and once housed the Deisroth department store.

The county accepted ownership of the property in 2009 from the nonprofit Alliance to Revitalize Center City Hazleton because the property was headed for a delinquent tax auction. The nonprofit owners owed the county’s community development office more than $1.8 million in loans, which were at risk of remaining unpaid if the property was sold to the highest tax sale bidder, officials said at the time.

Those community development loan remain as liens on the property, which means net proceeds from a sale would have to be applied toward the loans, officials said. The county administration had tried to sell the property in 2015 but did not receive any viable offers.

Tenants in the 44,480-square-foot structure include Luzerne County Community College, a coffee shop and a law firm.

In 2024, the county switched to in-house management of the property instead of paying an outside entity to oversee expenses, maintenance, and the collection of rent from tenants leasing space in the structure.

The June 3 appraisal performed by Nasser Real Estate and Appraisals Inc. in Scranton concluded the two-parcel property has a market value of $2.1 million.

Wilkes-Barre property

The county’s community development office vacated the property at 54 W. Union Street early this year, relocating to a county-leased property on North State Street in the city.

This move was prompted by plans to convert the West Union Street property to a temporary shelter for children removed from their homes due to alleged abuse and neglect. County Manager Romilda Crocamo said this week that county Children, Youth and Families has halted the temporary shelter plan to perform further assessment, which would allow the building to be sold.

The county owns the property because the Central Poor District of Luzerne County, a long defunct entity focused on the indigent, purchased the property at the corner of North Franklin and West Union streets in 1923, according to the deed.

An attached brick structure, the property is approximately 6,324 square feet and sits on 0.06 acre.

The July 1 appraisal, also performed by the Nasser firm, concluded the market value is $373,000.

Both appraisals are included in the 375-page committee agenda posted at luzernecounty.org.

The committee will meet at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions for the remote attendance option will be posted in council’s online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.

Several purchases of vacant county-owned lots also are on the agenda, but Committee Chair LeeAnn McDermott said some of those sales could not proceed at this time because the county was unable to obtain deeds. Prospective buyers interested in properties without deeds would have to invest their own time and money performing a title search, she said.

The purchase offers for county-owned lots that do have deeds, according to agenda documentation:

• Shickshinny resident Leonard J. Dalmas offered to pay $500 each for three vacant lots on Route 11 in Hunlock Township with acreages of 0.544, 0.551 and 0.376.

Deeds indicate the county’s tax claim office had transferred ownership of the lots to the county in 1967, 1968 and 1985.

• Hazle Township resident Kevin Reph offered $500 for a 0.108-acre lot on Hill Street in the township. County tax claim had deeded the lot to the county in 1985.

• Luis Santana Peralta, of Plymouth, offered $1,000 for a 0.149-acre lot adjacent to McGinnis Street in the borough. As with the others, the county had assumed ownership of the parcel from tax claim in 1986.

Luzerne County will change voting systems in 2026 and enact a “responsible contractor ordinance,” county council decided Tuesday.

Council unanimously approved the election bureau’s recommendation to lease voting equipment from Hart InterCivic at $574,000 annually for five years, which includes equipment, software, maintenance and support services.

Instead of the current practice of making selections on computerized touchscreen ballot marking devices, voters will fill out choices on paper ballots starting next year and then feed them into the Hart InterCivic scanners to be tallied, which will reduce the equipment needed, the bureau said.

The election bureau estimates it will fully offset the Hart InterCivic lease cost with approximately $600,000 in annual savings using the new system, in part through reduced expenses for equipment transport to polling places and staffing. Ballot design and equipment testing also would be completed in-house instead of relying on outside contracting, the bureau said.

New voting equipment was pursued because the five-year maintenance and support contract with current voting equipment supplier Dominion Voting Systems expires at the end of this year, officials said.

The responsible contractor ordinance would require prospective contractors to participate in apprenticeship training programs and meet other conditions to perform county government construction projects over $500,000.

A crowd of approximately 80 union trade workers gathered in the county courthouse rotunda before the meeting as a show of support for the ordinance.

Sixteen citizens weighed in during a required public hearing preceding the voting meeting — nine for and seven against.

Seven of 11 council members supported the ordinance, prompting a roar of applause in the rotunda and claps in the meeting room: Patty Krushnowski, LeeAnn McDermott, Jimmy Sabatino, Joanna Bryn Smith, Brittany Stephenson, Greg Wolovich and Chairman John Lombardo.

Several members said council could revisit the ordinance down the road if there are concerns.

Council members Harry Haas, Kevin Lescavage, Chris Perry and Vice Chairman Brian Thornton voted against the ordinance. They also unsuccessfully supported Haas’ proposal to remand the ordinance back to committee to get more input from stakeholders.

The adopted version was amended twice Tuesday as proposed by Lombardo.

The first amendment will automatically override the ordinance if no bids are received from contractors that meet the ordinance requirements. In such cases, the lowest qualified bidder would be selected, it said.

Lombardo said the amendment would prevent problems that have occurred in other government entities with such ordinances when there are no eligible bidders, such as the need to rebid a project multiple times or delay projects by requiring council to override the ordinance in each instance.

The second amendment increased the project cap from $250,000 to $500,000. Lombardo said the increase was a compromise because contractors opposing the ordinance have called for a $1 million threshold.

Thornton was highly critical of the ordinance, saying it would “without a doubt” lead to a tax increase.

Warren Faust, president of the Northeast PA Building Trades, disputed the cost increase claim during public comment and said the ordinance was modeled after one in Northampton County that was upheld following legal challenges.

Stephenson said after the meeting the ordinance is an “investment in our youth” that will be “life-changing.”