Luzerne County Government

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

The committee that oversees Luzerne County’s record improvement fund is at a standstill because Clerk of Courts Bob Reilly resigned from the chairmanship Tuesday morning and no other members want to fill the leadership role.

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Luzerne County Commissioner Maryanne Petrilla, standing, and Prothonotary Carolee Medico Olenginski, left, exchange words during a county record improvement fund committee meeting.

CLARK VAN ORDEN photos/THE TIMES LEADER

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During a meeting of the county record improvement fund committee on Tuesday, nobody wanted to lead the group.

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The fund, which comes from a fee on recorded deeds, has been linked to a bribery charge against Reilly.

Federal prosecutors allege Reilly steered work to contractor Barton Weidlich in exchange for $1,500 in kickbacks. Most of Weidlich’s payments were out of the record fund and stayed hidden until recently because Reilly paid the company through an outside records consultant, Wayne, Pa.-based LRW Solutions Group, also known as Little Red Wagon.

Reilly has maintained he didn’t obtain public votes authorizing payments to Weidlich and others because fellow record improvement committee members failed to attend meetings – a claim that at least two other members deny.

Tuesday’s committee meeting was the first held since Reilly was charged, and Clerk of Courts Deputy Tom Pizano read a statement from Reilly that said he was resigning as chairman because of his “situation.”

The meeting was disorganized, with members sitting in the audience section waiting for someone to take charge.

“We all can’t sit here and not say anything,” said committee member Dottie Stankovic, the county’s register of wills.

Prothonotary Carolee Medico Olenginski broke the ice by blasting county Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla, who also sits on the committee along with the other two commissioners, the treasurer and sheriff.

Medico Olenginski said she pointed out concerns about the fund at the last meeting in January and was forced to report her findings to the U.S. Secret Service, which has confirmed that it is investigating the nearly $1 million paid to LRW.

She said Petrilla had approved payment for “a lot of these things that are now under investigation” when she served as controller and that Petrilla had voted with Reilly and other committee members in January to continue paying LRW.

“I would like Mrs. Petrillo to really step aside,” she said.

“It’s Petrilla,” the commissioner said.

“I would like Mrs. Petrilla to step aside and allow one of the other commissioners to sit on this committee because I think you failed this committee miserably,” Medico Olenginski continued.

Petrilla said she’d be “delighted” to have another commissioner serve because she is “very, very busy with the county” and in the office “every single day.”

It’s unclear why the committee has evolved to one commissioner representative because the law governing such committees says the commissioners serve, not one.

Medico Olenginski persisted, saying Petrilla has “neglected” the duties of a controller.

“I just need to caution you on your accusations, Carolee, because I have to protect myself as a citizen of this county,” Petrilla said. “When you make false accusations, there’s a word they call that, it’s called defamation. So it’s very important to be cautious in the things you say about what I did or didn’t do.”

Petrilla left the meeting room to see if Commissioners Stephen A. Urban and Thomas Cooney were available and returned, saying, “Surprise, surprise. The commissioners aren’t here.”

Medico Olenginski asked Petrilla why she “ignored” her concerns about the fund and voted to keep paying LRW.

“I didn’t ignore anything. Every concern I addressed … just because I don’t write back to you and your continuous e-mails – most of which are rude, I must say,” Petrilla said.

The prothonotary said Petrilla should have been “more polite” by indicating whether she was going to address her concerns.

“How do you know I didn’t begin to look into this?” Petrilla asked.

“Show me where you did,” Medico Olenginski said.

“You’re accusing me of not. Show me where I didn’t,” Petrilla said.

Petrilla stopped the exchange, telling the prothonotary that the meeting was supposed to focus on the fund.

“You’ve got a personal issue with me. I don’t know what it is. I stay out of your way, and I am not about to sit in this meeting that was called for a purpose and just get into a confrontation,” Petrilla said.

“This is not personal. This is professional,” Medico Olenginski said.

Stankovic suggested proceeding with the vote on a chair.

“We’re all adults. We’re all row officers, and we have offices to run and we have business to conduct in this county, so let’s stay to the agenda,” she said. “Let the past be the past and start a new life, and a new future.”

Coroner John Corcoran, who attended the meeting but is not on the committee, offered to serve as temporary chair until members voted.

Stankovic nominated Petrilla as chairman, but Petrilla declined.

After an extended silence, Corcoran asked Medico Olenginski if she was interested. She said she is “totally overworked” focusing on problems she has discovered in her office.

Medico Olenginski nominated her deputy, Bob Sypniewski, but Petrilla said that only voting members may serve as chair.

The prothonotary nominated Stankovic, but Stankovic also declined, saying, “I’m running two offices, and I’m very busy.”

Members voted to adjourn, unable to conduct business. Roughly $37,516.85 remains in the fund, and it will continue to grow as new deeds are recorded.

Medico Olenginski issued an e-mail to all committee members after the meeting, listing reasons she is “respectfully requesting the resignation” of Petrilla from the committee.

Petrilla’s response: “I find it remarkable that she has all the answers to what is wrong, but when offered the chairmanship, she didn’t want it.”

Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7333.