Luzerne County Government

April 21, 2010

Options to serve county papers on agenda

Preferred way to deliver documents and pay for service differs for sheriff deputies and controller.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
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Luzerne County officials plan to meet today to discuss transportation options for sheriff deputies who serve civil court and mortgage foreclosure documents.

Deputies had been receiving a flat payment starting at $12 for each document served as compensation for using their own vehicles to serve the documents, regardless of distance traveled.

Controller Walter Griffith stopped these extra checks earlier this year, saying the union contract only authorizes mileage based on the actual distance traveled at 50 cents per mile.

Griffith had discovered that seven workers received an additional $190,700 in 2009 to serve the documents, often on county time.

Acting Sheriff Charles Guarnieri said Tuesday that deputies have been using sheriff vehicles to serve the documents in recent weeks because they’re not being compensated to use their own.

This change has created a “very big backlog” because the sheriff’s office doesn’t have enough vehicles to spare, he said.

“We’re doing the best we can. We have everybody out serving when our cars are available,” Guarnieri said.

He declined further comment until after today’s meeting.

Griffith, who will also attend the meeting, said he won’t release mileage payments without back-up documentation on the locations visited and miles traveled. Public approval from county commissioners will also be required, he said, because of the dollar amounts involved.

Some sheriff deputies have argued the extra payment is a viable solution because the workers also agreed to forgo overtime, even though they work many evenings.

Deputies must make three attempts to serve a document. If one trip is required, a deputy may come out ahead, but the flat payment may not cover gas and wear-and-tear on the vehicle if multiple trips are necessary, the deputies have argued.

Former sheriff Barry Stankus has said he covered the serving of documents at a lower cost by using some of the fee revenue to lease county vehicles and assigning the deputies to more evening shifts. Leftover revenue was returned to the county, he said.

The state Office of Attorney General agreed last month to investigate the extra payments. County District Attorney Jacqueline Musto Carroll had forwarded the matter to the state after receiving a request from Griffith to investigate.

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

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