Luzerne County Government

January 7, 2010

Current county gov’t opposed

No member of home rule study group supports keeping the present system.

RALPH NARDONE Times Leader Correspondent

KINGSTON -- The Luzerne County Government Study Commission began in earnest its process of planning a new government structure for the county at Wednesday night’s meeting.

The 11-member commission voted unanimously on Dec. 9 to pursue a home rule plan.

Before delving deeply into discussions about the pros and cons of home rule government, chairman and Kingston Mayor Jim Haggerty asked each member if he or she thought that no changes should be made to the current form of government.

“The principal question is should the commissioner system be retained,” he asked. No member said it should.

Commission member Jack Schumacher said the voting public does not support the current system.

Emphasizing that the group will not be “hasty” in its recommendations, Haggerty said a new county government plan will not be done in one night and many questions must be answered before a formal plan is finalized.

Haggerty then asked whether the new government should include an appointed “manager” brought in through a recruitment process or whether it should set up a position of an elected “executive.” He said this person would be responsible for the “operational” needs of the county and stay out of the “policy” aspect.

He said this person could work in conjunction with a body of commissioners or a council, setting up a system of “separation of powers” and “checks and balances.”

Haggerty said an elected executive would most likely be a powerful and financially strong politician, whereas an appointed manager would be more of a “professional.”

Several other members weighed in, expressing concerns about veto power and about whether the executive or manager would hold authority over council or vice versa.

Treasurer Rick Morelli said he thought the county could be structured like a school district in which a council would set policy and the executive would run the operations in the way a district superintendent does. He deferred to commission member John Adonizio, who served on the Pittston Area School Board, for his opinion.

Adonizio said he thought a 13-member council would bring a lot more “input and ideas” into county decision-making. He said he believes three commissioners take on too much responsibility.

Richard Heffron said he is concerned the “same old same old” type of government will arise if the new home rule is not properly done.

Haggerty said the group will continue to deliberate over the next several weeks and work toward finalizing a report that summarizes its position, which will eventually be put on a ballot for voters.

In other business, the commission voted 9-1 with one absent to appoint Jeffrey Nimick to fill the vacant seat that became open when member Walter Griffith won the county controller’s seat.

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