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Luzerne County Councilman Stephen A. Urban said he won’t make a final decision on whether he is seeking another term until around the time nomination petitions must be filed to appear on the May 21 primary election ballot, which is March 12.
Voters will select six of 11 council members this year. Three other incumbents have said they will seek another term — Tim McGinley, Robert Schnee and Jane Walsh Waitkus. Councilman Eugene Kelleher is not running again, and the sixth seat up for grabs was held by Edward Brominski, who resigned last month.
McGinley and Urban have served since the implementation of home rule in January 2012 and are in the final year of their second four-year terms. Home rule limits council members to three consecutive terms, which means they would be eligible for one more.
Urban is in his 20th year as an elected county official because he previously served as a county commissioner from 2000 through 2011. He has a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees and is a retired Army lieutenant colonel, having served 24 years of active duty.
Circulating petitions
Democrats and Republicans can start circulating their petitions Tuesday.
County election officials said recently they have stopped publicly displaying a sign-in sheet of people who pick up election packets because it is not required and was misleading some to believe those who pick up packets are definitely running, even though candidates don’t become official until all required paperwork is submitted to the election office.
Delinquent taxes
Letters have been sent to 18,900 county property owners informing them they have unpaid school, municipal and/or county real estate taxes from 2018, according to Sean Shamany, of county tax-claim operator Northeast Revenue Service LLC.
Shamany said number of delinquencies is around the same as it has been the last few years.
The company will later send certified mail notices to property owners who did not make payments. State law mandates this certified mailing to ensure property owners receive official notice of the debt, which is a lien on the real estate, officials have said.
Properties must be auctioned if taxes have gone unpaid for two years unless the owner is complying with a repayment plan, is involved in an active bankruptcy proceeding or obtains a court order.
Council vacancy
Because last week’s council meeting was cancelled due to ice and sleet, council will convene at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Council is set to select a Democrat to fill Brominski’s vacant seat, and county Manager C. David Pedri also will present a “state of the county” report required by the home rule charter.
Courthouse closed
The county courthouse is closed Monday for Presidents’ Day — one of 12 paid holidays provided to county government employees.
Board openings
Council’s Authorities, Boards and Commissions Committee will publicly interview prospective board applicants at 6 p.m. Thursday in the courthouse.
Council Chairman Tim McGinley urged residents to consider applying for numerous openings, including a vacant Democrat seat on the county election board. Information is at www.luzernecounty.org.
Zoning matter
Council has published a legal advertisement announcing it will vote at its Feb. 26 meeting on a proposed zoning change in Huntington Township that is supported by township supervisors but has been criticized by at least one resident.
Huntington Mills DG LLC wants to buy the 2.153-acre parcel along Route 239 from the Huntington Valley Volunteer Fire Co. to build a Dollar General, officials have said. The property is in a suburban residence district zone and must be converted to a highway business district zone for the project to proceed.