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By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES jandes@leader.net
Thursday, March 06, 2003 Page: 3A
It’s a scenario that will likely play out often at public meetings in
coming months: Luzerne County Controller Steve Flood and Commissioner Stephen
A. Urban making points until majority Commissioners Tom Pizano and Tom
Makowski cut them off and accused them of politicking.
Neither Pizano nor Makowski are seeking re-election. Flood and Urban plan
to run for commissioner.
At Wednesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting, Flood reiterated requests
for a countywide management personnel policy and computer software to help
manage the county’s finances.
And Urban questioned why there’s no record book of county ordinances as
required by the state County Code, sparking a tiff.
Makowski insisted that such an ordinance book exists and complained that
Urban inquired about it at a public meeting.
“Do it in a proper format,” Makowski snapped.
“This is the proper format,” Urban snapped back, noting he has searched
for old ordinances and knows there is no comprehensive book.
Pizano, chairman of the Board of Commissioners, tried to cease the
hostilities, reminding his colleagues it was Ash Wednesday.
Makowski would not be mollified. “I’m really tired of these paid political
announcements. They just aggravate the hell out of me.”
Flood then said he believes majority commissioners have “cold feet” about
running financial tracking software because it would flag problems they don’t
want exposed.
The discovery by the Controller’s Office that certain managers received
unauthorized raises, were paid to carry a pager and got other perks
demonstrates that a personnel manual and tracking software are overdue, Flood
said.
Flood asked Personnel/Budget Director Russ Arnone, who drafts the county
budget, if he agrees a modern financial management system is necessary.
“I’ll answer that,” Pizano said.
“I didn’t ask you,” Flood said.
“OK, but I’m taking over here. Just like you do,” Pizano fired back.
“You know (county auditor) Synder & Clemente has recommended in their audit
that we do something. I have had discussions with (county Data Processing
Director) Steve Englot …”
“Steve Englot is not the chief financial officer,” Flood said.
“I understand that. Steve Englot says we can do this cheaper in house
rather than going out, so my recommendation would be to modernize in house,”
Pizano said.
Englot, who was on other county business and did not attend Wednesday’s
meeting, said he plans to hold a meeting in coming weeks to update county
officials and the public about his recommendation.
He said after the meeting he wants to develop custom-made computer programs
with some outside assistance so the county doesn’t have to pay ongoing license
fees and monthly leasing fees from vendors.
Englot said he could focus first on a program for payroll and other
employee data because that’s an area that has experienced problems. He
estimates a new in-house payroll tracking system could be up and running by
the end of the year.
Flood asked Pizano and Makowski to vote on his recommendations to adopt a
management manual and financial software program, but Pizano refused.
Urban criticized county Solicitor Jim Blaum, prompted by the board’s vote
to appoint Robin Muth, Nanticoke, as a fiscal officer for $43,850 annually in
the Luzerne/Wyoming Counties Area Agency on Aging.
Urban said the Salary Board never voted to create the position. Blaum said
the county adopted a state plan that included the position, so he doesn’t
believe Salary Board approval is necessary.
Urban said he believes Makowski and Pizano are doing an end-run around the
Salary Board because they don’t have the votes on that board to create the
position. The Salary Board consists of the three commissioners and controller.
Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at
831-7333.