Click here to subscribe today or Login.
WILKES-BARRE — Discussion of proposed appointments to several authorities has exposed a rift between the current administration, the city’s anticipated next mayor and some members of City Council.
At issue during Tuesday’s work session was whether the appointments should be postponed or shortened to allow the new mayor — expected to be George Brown — to make his own appointments after taking over next January.
City Administrator Rick Gazenski — who, with wife Patricia, is among the recommended appointees — suggested Brown had asked council members to hold off because Brown “has promises to a lot of people.”
Reached by phone after the meeting, Brown told the Times Leader he had reached out to several council members with concerns about making appointments now, but rejected Gazenski’s suggestion that he has offered appointments to others.
“I’ve made no promises to anybody,” Brown said. “That is an untrue statement.”
Gazenski came before the panel Tuesday to present Mayor Tony George’s genda for Thursday’s council meeting, which included proposed appointment of Gazenski to the Parking Authority, wife Patricia to the Housing Authority, re-appointment of city Fire Chief Jay Delaney to the Housing Authority and re-appointment of Anthony Glazenski to the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority.
A proposed appointment of Councilman Mike Belusko to the Sanitary Authority had been removed from the list.
“My only concern — and I don’t mean any disrespect to anybody on this list, Jay Delaney, Patricia, Rick or Anthony — we’re appointing people going out four, five years that’s going to encompass the next mayor’s term,” Councilman Mike Merritt said. “I think the incoming mayor should have some input on this.”
Brown outpolled George by a more than 3-to-1 margin in the Democratic primary May 21 and secured the Republican nomination through write-in votes because there were no GOP candidates on the ballot.
Merritt suggested making appointments to fill any openings only through the end of the year.
Gazenski replied that he had looked at the mayoral authority appointments from 2015, when then-Mayor Tom Leighton was in his final year of office, “that went out years beyond” his term, adding that “all the mayors do it,” and “this is the mayor’s choice.”
Tim Henry, city attorney and deputy administrator, said the terms are set in the bylaws of the various authorities, “so they are what they are.”
“I think it does put council in a precarious situation, because we’re asked to vote on you and your wife and Jay Delaney, and we work with you and Jay Delaney daily,” Councilwoman Beth Gilbert said. “So if we were to vote no for you, simply because a new mayor is coming in, that really puts us in an awkward position, or if we were to vote yes, it puts us in an awkward position.”
Council Chairman Mike Belusko asked Gilbert how she would resolve the situation.
“If we don’t do this, nobody’s going to do it,” Belusko said.
“Abstain,” Gilbert replied, adding that she would have done so if Belusko had been among the appointees. “I don’t think I can make a nonbiased decision on you because I work with you daily.”
Gazenski said he appreciated the honesty, “and if we’re being honest, can I ask one question? Has the new mayor that’s coming in contacted any of you, to ask not to have appointments (made)? Has he? I’ve heard he has.”
There was a pause before Gilbert replied that they had spoken.
“I think that Mr. Brown’s concern is that Mayor George is going to staff these boards before his term is over —” she started before Gazenski interjected.
“I think that Mr. Brown’s concern is that he has promises to a lot of people, that’s what I think,” Gazenski replied.
In his phone call to the Times Leader, Brown acknowledged calling council members Gilbert, Merritt, Bill Barrett and Tony Brooks, and said he did not call Belusko because his name had been on the appointment list.
Brown said he only expressed concerns about making appointments now, and reiterated that he has offered no appointments to anyone.
Council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday.
