News

November 3

Agreement is reached on release of names

The home rule transition group will keep manager hopeful names to itself.

By Jerry Lynott jlynott@timesleader.com
Business Writer
Jerry Lynott on Facebook   |   @TLJerryLynott on Twitter

WILKES-BARRE – The names of the people who’ve applied to lead the county as manager under the new Home Rule Charter government will be released after the election to the committee empowered to fill the post, pending a signed agreement that they be kept confidential.

The Home Rule Charter Transition Committee voted 5-2 to enact the condition at its last regularly scheduled meeting before the Nov. 8 general election.

Voters will elect 11 people to sit on the county council under the charter that does away with the three elected commissioners and many elected row offices.

The manager, who will be the chief executive of the county, will be appointed by the transition committee. The job has attracted 70 applicants whose qualifications were being reviewed and graded by committee consultant Ken Mohr.

“I have had people say to me, ‘If it’s going to be released I would like to have my name withdrawn,’” said Mohr.

Committee Chairman Jim Bobeck raised the issue of confidentiality to “reduce any type of leaks or actions by council candidate without the authority of the” committee. The names of the manager and the clerk of the council could be released if the committee decided to do so, he added.

He ran into some opposition from committee member and council candidate Rick Morelli who wanted to wait for the council members to join the transition committee, saying they will be the ones to govern the county come Jan. 2.

“It’s a valid point, but I think it should be held off for another week,” said Morelli.

Committee member Jim Haggerty, an attorney and mayor of Kingston, suggested that the information be provided on Nov. 14 upon “execution of a confidentiality agreement which simply says they will maintain the confidentiality of the information until further action of the transition team.”

There is no penalty if the agreement is broken, acknowledged Bobeck. If people release the names it shows “They don’t want to work with a group,” he said.

Tweet	Follow @TLnews

Send Question or Remark to the Publisher

This story also appears on the following websites...