Three apply for Luzerne County Election Board chairmanship seat

At least three citizens have applied for the vacant fifth chairmanship seat on Luzerne County’s Election Board — Republicans Vivian Kreidler-Licina and Frank Yamrick and Democrat Christine Boyle, officials said.

The application deadline is Wednesday. The office closes at 4:30 p.m.

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.

A Nescopeck Township resident, Kreidler-Licina is a homemaker and previously worked as a certified nursing assistant and in a local distribution center. She ran for county council in 2023 and for the government study commission last year.

Kreidler-Licina said Tuesday she applied for the seat because she has been closely following county elections and election law for years and is prepared to take on the responsibility.

Kreidler-Licina said she will hold off on further comments until the board interviews applicants.

“I look forward to any questions board members have,” Kreidler-Licina said.

Yamrick, of West Wyoming, founded and served as president of the Swoyersville metal machining firm Belrick Corp. for more than 50 years.

He also had served for 12 years on the citizen advisory board for the county-owned Wyoming Valley Airport in Forty Fort and Wyoming and originated the county’s formation of that board.

Yamrick, who could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday, also served on the Luzerne/Schuylkill County Workforce Investment Board for 12 years.

Boyle, of Wyoming, is retired following a career in the insurance industry that included various managerial positions. Boyle could not immediately be reached for comment.

Next step

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

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 and will end March 14.

A meeting has not yet been scheduled to publicly interview and select an applicant.

The current board members are Republicans Alyssa Fusaro (vice chair) and Rick Morelli and Democrats Albert Schlosser and Daniel Schramm.

The election board provides general supervision over elections, certifies results and makes determinations on the tallying of flagged ballots during post-election adjudication.