Now that Luzerne County’s customized home rule government structure has been in effect for five years, it’s time to contemplate changes, Edward Brominski told his council colleagues in an email last week.
“I believe the community wants and needs more innovative charter revisions than presently exist,” Brominski wrote. “The charter should be re-examined to incorporate lessons learned, strengthen provisions, clarify ambiguities and correct omissions that have been discovered over the past five years.”
Brominski, who has served on the 11-member council since its inception in January 2012, suggested a discussion at the next council work session on initiating the selection of a government study commission.
Major home rule charter changes cannot be enacted unless a new elected government study commission is formed, officials have said.
A study commission must look at the big picture and can’t be limited by outside forces. County assistant Solicitor Shannon Crake had previously advised council that an elected government study commission would have free rein to recommend returning to the prior government system, keeping home rule as is or altering the home rule structure.
The county’s charter revamped a structure that had been in effect more than 150 years.
Decisions previously made by three elected commissioners and several row officers are now in the hands of an elected council and appointed manager.
Under home rule, the manager holds significant power over hiring, finances and day-to-day operations. Council approves the budget and larger contracts, appoints members to outside county boards, enacts codes and ordinances, confirms the manager’s nominees to eight division head positions and hires and evaluates the manager.
Charter changes suggested by critics have included reducing the size of council, making the manager an elected position and restoring the elected controller’s involvement in outgoing payments.
County voters must decide to convene a study commission, and voters elect commission members.
Prior county commissioners had supported a citizen request to place the government study question on the ballot in 2009, which led to the current charter. Without council action, citizens must obtain petition signatures seeking the ballot question.
It’s unclear if a council majority is willing to place the study commission matter on the ballot.
A similar proposal failed to receive majority support last year. Four council members had provided the necessary votes to introduce the study question ordinance in January 2016, but six would not grant final approval.
The four council ordinance supporters last year: Brominski, Kathy Dobash, Eileen Sorokas and Stephen A. Urban.
When the matter came up last year, some council members said a study commission was premature because the new government structure was still in its infancy and warranted more time to judge its positives and negatives.
In his email last week, Brominski said a study commission would conduct an in-depth review of the charter with no obligation to maintain current provisions.
“I strongly believe this action is necessary if we desire to move the county forward and better accomplish home rule’s intended purpose,” he wrote.
Dobash sent an email reply voicing support for his proposal to “improve county government.”
To date, the council has focused on minor charter alterations that did not trigger the need to convene a study commission.
County voters last November approved two of these charter changes and partially granted the third.
The voter-approved changes:
• Requiring a majority of council votes — six instead of four — to amend the county budget in the years following council elections.
• Lifting a ban that forced county board/authority/commission members to wait one year after leaving their seats to run for county office.
• Allowing employees of companies with county contracts to serve on authorities at the council’s discretion following mandatory public disclosure and discussion.
A question seeking this same discretion for board and commission members was rejected by voters.
