Luzerne County Councilman Edward Brominski called for a no-confidence vote in the county manager and correctional services division head Tuesday due to the recent hiring of Sam Hyder as deputy warden.
Brominski’s proposal, which came at the end of a lengthy 2017 budget adoption meeting, was rejected by seven of 11 council members.
In addition to Brominski, Council members Kathy Dobash, Eileen Sorokas and Stephen A. Urban supported the motion.
Brominski said Wednesday he pushed for the vote because he wanted to publicly show that some council members disagreed with the appointment, even though they were powerless to stop it.
Under the county’s customized home rule government structure implemented in January 2012, the council’s only control over hiring is the appointment of a council clerk and the manager, and the confirmation or rejection of the manager’s nominees for eight division head positions.
The council deliberately was kept out of most hiring to prevent political intervention, home rule charter drafters have said.
In light of Tuesday’s vote, the county solicitor’s office is reviewing the charter and will furnish a legal opinion to the county council. County Chief Solicitor Romilda Crocamo said Wednesday the council is not authorized under the charter to issue a no-confidence vote in a prison hiring or to reprimand a division head. And while the council oversees the manager, the charter does not specify a no-confidence vote as a disciplinary option, she said.
Brominski said he is concerned about Hyder’s past workers’ compensation claims and involvement in questionable county debit card spending.
“I believe in giving people second chances, but my God,” Brominski said. “I don’t think they vetted him properly.”
Hyder started work at the prison as its second-in-command on Friday and will receive $68,000, officials said. The position was open because James Larson retired Dec. 8.
The deputy warden serves as the correction head’s primary operating and/or administrative officer and acts as overseer when his supervisor is absent, the job posting states.
According to Times Leader archives:
Hyder went on workers’ compensation in 1998 while working as a correctional officer after sustaining injuries while trying to stop inmates from beating up another prisoner. Hyder has said he was struck in the head with a heavy object, causing permanent hearing loss and unpredictable swelling in one eye.
He accepted a $70,000 settlement from the county in 2000 to close out that workers’ compensation case, saying later that the county had denied his offer to return to work in a light-duty capacity.
In 2004, the county prison board, which was later abolished under the home rule government structure, hired Hyder as the deputy warden of security. Greg Skrepenak, who was a county commissioner and prison board member at that time, had said a letter from Hyder’s doctor cleared him to perform the job.
Hyder was furloughed from that $74,263-a-year position in January 2010 and again sought workers’ compensation, this time arguing working conditions made him stressed, anxious, depressed and ultimately led to a blackout. A judge denied the request, saying he did not find Hyder’s testimony credible and that the work stresses Hyder described weren’t abnormal for someone in that position.
But Brominski said published reports also have disclosed other previous workers’ compensation claims at the former Acme Warehouse in Forty Fort. The Times Leader reported in 2004 that legal records showed Hyder settled two workers’ compensation claims in 1983 and 1985 when he worked at Acme.
“How is it possible to have that many claims and still get another job? I’m totally confused by it,” Brominski said, noting he initially shrugged off tips he started receiving in August that Hyder was going to get the job because he did not believe the administration would “be that stupid.”
Brominski also pointed to the 2007 revelation that Hyder used a county debit card to pay for drinks at a Las Vegas strip club while attending a prison management conference. Hyder later repaid the county, saying the charge to the card was a mistake.
County Manager C. David Pedri repeated Wednesday that he authorized Hyder’s hiring because county Correctional Services Division Head Mark Rockovich selected Hyder after following the county’s merit hiring process.
Rockovich, who has worked at the prison since 1991 and was promoted correctional overseer in July, reiterated Wednesday that he “explicitly” followed the county’s hiring policy, and Hyder was the top choice. Rockovich also said he discussed the debit card and past county workers’ compensation cases with both Hyder and Pedri.
“We followed procedures this county has in place, and he was by far the best candidate who came forward — period, end of story,” Rockovich said. “I believe he will do an excellent job with security and enforcement of procedures.”
At least 25 prison employees — some counts were as high as 40 — attended the Nov. 29 council meeting as a show of support for Hyder’s appointment, although they did not speak because his hiring was not publicly discussed by council members. An exact count of the workers was not available because most sat in the lobby instead of the meeting room, which had reached capacity.
Hyder declined an offer relayed through Rockovich to comment on Brominski’s motion.
