Luzerne County Courthouse

Luzerne County Courthouse

Wednesday is the application deadline for citizens interested in filling a fifth chairmanship seat on Luzerne County’s Election Board.

No citizens had applied as of Thursday afternoon.

The county’s home rule charter created a unique structure for this fifth seat by removing county council from the selection process. Instead, the four council-appointed board members — two Republicans and two Democrats — choose a fifth citizen of any affiliation or no affiliation.

Denise Williams, a Democrat, last filled the seat and served since April 2021, resigning in December because she is running for county council. Prior to Williams, the board had two other Democrats, a Republican and an Independent in the fifth chair seat.

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Information on applying is posted in the election section at luzernecounty.org.

According to the charter:

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

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

Also, for a period of one year after leaving the election board, members cannot be:

• Hired as a county employee.

• Appointed to or employed by a county authority, board or commission.

• Employed or compensated by any individual or business that served as a county or authority/board/commission contractor during the time the person served on the election board.

• A paid consultant for the county or any authority, board or commission.

Election board members also must be available on Election Day and during the day for a little over a week to two weeks after each primary and general election for the adjudication process.

The board’s policy requires all applicants to be publicly interviewed using questions pre-determined by the board and confirmed by the law office.

If a board majority does not select someone within 60 days, any resident may petition the county Court of Common Pleas to fill the seat. The 60-day clock started with council’s declaration of the vacancy on Jan. 14.

Division head

Approximately 11 people applied for the county’s operational services division head position vacated by the resignation of Jennifer Pecora, said county Manager Romilda Crocamo.

The operational services division head oversees engineering, roads and bridges, planning and zoning, 911, emergency management, buildings and grounds, the boiler plant and solid waste management.

Due to the high level of expertise involved, Crocamo said she is considering forming a screening committee to interview applicants. This panel would include representatives in the engineering, planning/zoning, emergency services and business management fields, she said.

Council confirmation is requiring for the manager’s division nominees to be hired.

County grants writer Michele Sparich is serving as interim operational services division head.

The division head position was advertised at a range of $96,270 to $101,270, and applications were due Jan. 20.

Study commission

The county’s seven-citizen Government Study Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 6) in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

The commission has been meeting regularly to assess potential county home rule charter changes and aims to place its proposal on the November 2025 ballot. Voters will then decide whether to switch to the new structure or keep the system in effect since January 2012.

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

Discussion topics will include draft maps envisioning potential districts if the commission ends up switching from countywide, or at-large, council races to election by regional districts — or a hybrid of both.

The maps are posted in the commission section at luzernecounty.org, which is accessed through the commission banner on the main page.

These maps show the possible layouts of three, four, five and seven districts and include the number of registered voters and their political party affiliations, total population and municipalities in each zone.

Council appointments

Council members appointed internal representatives for three outside boards last week: Jimmy Sabatino, Greater Hazleton CAN DO Board of Directors; Gregory S. Wolovich Jr., Luzerne Conservation District Board of Directors; and Brittany Stephenson, Luzerne-Wyoming Counties Mental Health and Developmental Services Program Advisory Board.

In addition, Sabatino was named the council representative as part of a new partnership agreement with the nonprofit Luzerne-Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board Inc. This board oversees the Luzerne-Schuylkill Workforce Development Area.

Coroner

Applications are due Tuesday (Feb. 4) for the county coroner position vacated by Jillian Matthews.

Matthews, who held the coroner position since October 2022, started work Jan. 24 as the new division chief of the county district attorney’s office vice/narcotics unit.

The coroner position is advertised at $62,000 to $67,513 annually, according to the posting under the human resources department career opportunities section at luzernecounty.org.

Matthews received $65,866 annually as coroner.

County Judicial Services and Records Division Head Paula Radick assigned senior field investigator/autopsy assistant Kaitlin Keating to serve as interim coroner.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.