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By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
Jennifer Learn-Andes on Facebook   |   @TLJenLearnAndes on Twitter

Taxpayers blasted Luzerne County Commissioners for more than an hour Wednesday for failing to detect corruption and contemplating a property tax increase.

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George Kochis was one of many taxpayers who complained about county corruption and a possible property tax increase at the Luzerne County Commissioners’ meeting on Wednesday.

Fred Adams/For The Times Leader

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In other business

Commissioners voted Wednesday to seek proposals for space to house two district justice offices, in an effort to save money.

The first is a controversial lease for District Judge Joe Zola in Hazleton, which costs the county $6,545 per month, or $78,540 annually.

The other proposal will be for space to house District Judge William Amesbury’s replacement. Amesbury will take office as a county Court of Common Pleas judge in January, and the county has earmarked $80,000 for the lease of that office on Hazle Avenue in Wilkes-Barre.

Commissioners also tabled votes on several appointments to outside boards so they don’t violate a past policy setting term limits. Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla said commissioners will revisit this policy when a new human resources director is hired because some outside boards and authorities benefit from the experience of veteran members.

Commissioners also terminated Children and Youth attorney Bernard Podcasy and accepted the resignation of mail room clerk Wendy Wickham and assessor’s clerk Ashley Walker.

“I say no tax increase – no more money from us until we get some answers, until we get accountability,” said Harveys Lake property owner Michelle Boice.

Like others in the audience, Boice questioned how the county ended up paying two New York companies – one with an address and ownership shrouded in mystery and the other for a $35,000 background procedure study that can’t be found.

“Someone should have done a background check on who we were doing business with,” Boice said.

Federal agents are investigating the county’s use of both New York companies – Continental Consultants Group and B & M Investigations.

Continental received $807,770 from May 2007 through July 2008 to oversee and pay retirees and flood workers, but the work wasn’t bid out or publicly approved by commissioners. Former county human resources director Doug Richards directed the controller’s office to give Continental’s payments to him or another ex-county worker instead of mailing them to the company, and the current tenants of addresses used by the company deny any connection.

B & M, which was paid $55,000 for background checks and the missing procedure study, is owned by William Grub, who has repeatedly refused to return messages. A man with the same name oversees security at the New York City timeshare used by Richards and other county employees who visited the city.

Commissioners unanimously voted Wednesday to terminate Richards for failing to answer questions about Continental.

Commissioners also delayed a vote on a proposed 2010 budget, saying they haven’t reached a consensus. They must vote by Dec. 10 to comply with a mandatory public review period. No real estate tax rate has been set yet for next year.

Boice and others questioned why county Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla did not challenge the contracts, because some of the payments to both companies were made when she was county controller.

“I think that everybody needs to understand that when the controller has a contract in front of them that is signed, it’s not the controller’s responsibility to play contract police and go to New York City and make sure that these companies are legitimate,” Petrilla said.

Petrilla said she is sickened by the unfolding corruption but is limited in what she can say because she does not want to jeopardize the ongoing federal investigation.

“This train is going forward. This county is getting cleaned up, and if you look around, there are many, many people that are no longer on this train,” Petrilla said. “Anyone who does not want to be accountable can get off this train because we’re moving forward.”

Kingston property owner George Kochis blamed all three commissioners, saying they should get off the train or promise to never seek office again.

Audrey Simpson, of Kingston Township, said she was “shocked and dismayed” to learn about the New York contracts and asked Commissioner Greg Skrepenak what he learned on his county-funded trips to New York.

Skrepenak said he concentrated on techniques and software that would help the county’s fragmented municipal police departments to communicate and share information about people who are wanted for crimes.

Simpson asked if the county knows what retirees were paid by Continental to work as consultants in the county. The invoices identify clients by numbered codes instead of their names.

“It’s a big mystery. I’m looking forward to answers,” Petrilla said.

Nanticoke resident Carl Larson said he and his neighbors support the termination of Richards. They also think Skrepenak is too isolated and “out of the loop,” he said. Larson asked Skrepenak if he will stand up if he discovers wrongdoing, and Skrepenak said he would.

“I can’t sit here and point fingers. I can’t say that I wasn’t here, because I was, and I feel terrible about that – horrible,” Skrepenak told him. “I can’t believe the turn of events that have happened. If I do know of anything, I will come forward and hold myself accountable.”

Taxpayers Ed Gustitus and Ed Chesnovitch said they’re confident that a switch to home rule form of county government will pass because of the county scandals.

Gustitus said commissioners have a “giant shell game going on” with county finances. He said a 29 percent tax increase is under consideration even though the county has awarded tax breaks to developers, forgiven taxes for the local chamber of commerce, hired outside consultants instead of making decisions in-house and imposed a levee fee that is expected to generate about $1 million.

“When are you going to start getting rid of people?” Gustitus said. “The people are not happy.”

The county’s financial recovery consultant has proposed the elimination of 150 workers. The county’s 2010 deficit, originally $29 million, is now between $13 million and $15 million, Petrilla said. At least two commissioners – a majority vote – must agree on how to close this gap.

Commissioners voted Wednesday to seek proposals to put the county Tax Claim Office and Moon Lake Park under private management and allow the public to pay their county bills with credit cards – all tentative options to increase revenue or reduce spending.