ELECT: Prothonotary

By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.comStaff Writer

The two candidates competing for the office of Luzerne County prothonotary both tout their skills and experience as reasons they should be elected to the post on Nov. 3.

Carolee Medico Olenginski

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Nancy McGinley Bellas is the Democratic contender facing off against Carolee Medico Olenginski on the Republican ticket.

The seat currently is vacant because former prothonotary Jill Moran resigned in March as part of an agreement she made with federal prosecutors related to a federal law enforcement probe of corruption in the county. She was not charged with any crime.

After a campaign promising to stop “negativity,” Moran, a Democrat, unseated Medico Olenginski from the office in 2001 after Medico Olenginski had served one four-year term. Moran staved off a challenge from Medico Olenginski in 2005.

Medico Olenginski, 65, of Wright Township, said she was accused of “grandstanding” when last in office and was criticized “because I wasn’t agreeing with the good old boys. I was there screaming corruption before it was fashionable. I was criticized for it and now people are telling me I was right,” she said.

Medico Olenginski said she decided to seek the office again after some office employees, attorneys and title searchers told her she should because the office had not been operating as well as it was before she left.

“When I got in there, I found decades of a mess. I was a management consultant, and this was probably the most challenging situation I ever encountered. There were no checks and balances; no part of that office was working correctly,” she said.

Medico Olenginski said she instituted systems and procedures to prevent revenue from being “mishandled” in the office and put an end to embezzlement and mail fraud by office employees. She claimed she saved considerable money on purchases by switching vendors, and revenue from the office increased dramatically under her watch.

While in office, Medico Olenginski said, she also instituted employee sign-in and sign-out sheets because it seemed a “chosen few” employees had accumulated massive amounts of sick and vacation time. She said she’s heard the office has reverted back to some former practices, and she “will do whatever it takes to get it straightened out again.”

Although McGinley Bellas, 56, of Kingston, has never held a political office before, she believes her decades of experience in the nursing field have prepared her for the job.

“I felt serving the needs of the public as a registered nurse for over 33 years are part of my qualifications. My organizational skills, people skills, meeting the needs of others are just a part of my background that I felt would be beneficial to this position,” she said.

McGinley Bellas said she has been reaching out to prothonotaries across the state since before the primary to discuss things that are working well in their offices. “That networking proves to be very valuable, and a goal of mine is to continue that open communication and networking with other prothonotaries,” she said.

McGinley Bellas said she has demonstrated the attributes of accessibility, accountability and adaptability on a daily basis as a nurse, and will give nothing less to the residents of Luzerne County.

“I will be accessible to the public and their needs, accountable to all the people of Luzerne County and adaptable to the changes necessary to bring improved outcomes to this office,” she said.

Looking into improvements in technology for the office is another goal, as is establishing an advisory committee composed of “citizens and professionals who use this office to see if their needs are being met,” she said.

McGinley Bellas said she couldn’t answer whether the filing of federal corruption charges against her husband, Allen Bellas, would hurt her election bid. Allen Bellas earlier this month agreed to plead guilty to accepting a bribe in connection with his directorship of the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority.

“My husband and I are married 32 years. At that time, we took vows to support each other in good times and in bad. Right now, we as a family are experiencing a difficult time, but our faith and our family are strong, and I believe with the support of our family and friends and our faith in God, we will weather this storm,” McGinley Bellas said.

“As for my campaign, I will continue this race as an honest, determined and committed candidate. I hope all those who supported me to this point will remain steadfast and realize that I am the same individual that I was from the onset of this campaign. I believe in giving the voters their voice, and on Nov. 3, they will decide who is the best candidate for this position,” she said.