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Luzerne County Council Vice Chairman Eugene Kelleher said he plans to resign next month due to a relocation, which would create the second vacancy this year on the 11-member council.
Patrick Bilbow was appointed to council in February to fill a seat vacated by Edward Brominski, who had been struggling with health issues.
Kelleher, 75, a former high school math teacher from Dallas Township, had served two years on the initial council seated under the county’s customized home rule government structure in January 2012. The Republican returned when voters elected him to a four-year term in November 2015.
His replacement must be a Republican and would serve until Jan. 6, 2020. In comparison, Brominski’s seat had to be filled by a Democrat.
Kelleher said Wednesday that he and his wife have secured housing in the Lancaster area because he wants to work for his son in the insurance industry. He has received two purchase offers for his residence in the Back Mountain and plans to close on a sale in July. When that transaction occurs, he will no longer have a required county residency needed to serve, he said.
Under the process enacted by council, the county would publicly seek applications from Republicans interested in the seat once Kelleher submits a resignation. Applicants must be publicly interviewed before council selects a replacement through majority vote.
Twelve Democrats had applied for Brominski’s seat. Bilbow also is running in the November general election, when voters will select six council members.
Kelleher’s seat may be of interest to five Republicans also on the ballot in this year’s council race: LeeAnn McDermott, Walter Griffith, Kendra Radle, Stephen J. Urban and Gregory Wolovich.
While taking office now could boost the name recognition and visibility of a council candidate, serving also would force the selected replacement to take positions on some difficult issues before the election, Kelleher said.
Two major capital projects are on the horizon — a 911 emergency radio communications system upgrade estimated between $16 million and $24 million and state-mandated, paper-trail voting machines projected to cost $4 million. Both are expected to be at least partially funded by new borrowing.
Kelleher also predicted 2020 budget discussions will be challenging because council’s ability to avoid a 2019 real estate tax hike stemmed largely from a decision to use $1 million left from a 2018 contingency to cover rising expenses. That contingency won’t be available for 2020, he said.
As he contemplates departure, Kelleher said he still wholeheartedly supports the home rule structure and believes the state of the county is “gradually improving.”
The county has cleared its deficit, reduced debt from $420.9 million in 2012 to around $270 million today, picked up property missed from the tax rolls and made strides stabilizing the employee pension fund, he said.
As vice chair, Kelleher also oversees a committee that publicly interviews citizen applicants for county boards and authorities. He has praised the qualifications of some residents willing to seek the unpaid seats.
While he doesn’t always agree with county Manager C. David Pedri, Kelleher said he believes Pedri is “an excellent manager.”
Kelleher said he has tried to keep a campaign promise of focusing on issues and “agreeing to disagree without being disagreeable.”
“We discuss the issues, and I vote my conscience. I don’t hold grudges,” Kelleher said.