Luzerne County Courthouse

Luzerne County Courthouse

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Luzerne County Council’s newly formed Election Inquiry Committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting Thursday night, according to the county’s meeting calendar.

The virtual meeting, which is open to the public, starts at 4 p.m.

A link to attend will be posted on council’s public meetings online section at luzernecounty.org.

Council formed the four-member committee to review election office procedures and protocols, largely in response to the premature unsealing and discarding of nine overseas military ballots by a temporary worker.

Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck will serve as inquiry committee chair, and Councilman Harry Haas will be vice chairman. The other council committee members: Sheila Saidman and Stephen J. Urban.

Debt briefing

The county’s financial adviser Public Financial Management is set to provide an update on the outstanding debt during county council’s meeting Tuesday.

County debt repayments increase from $24.5 million this year to $26.35 million in the administration’s proposed 2021 budget, which does not seek a real estate tax hike.

Payment schedules presented last year indicated the county owes about $269 million, interest included, from 2021 through 2030.

The PFM briefing is scheduled for the work session, which follows a 6 p.m. voting meeting.

Directions on attending the virtual meeting are posted on council’s online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.

Budget presentation

Two 2021 budget reviews also are scheduled during the work session for the controller’s and public defender’s offices.

The controller’s proposed 2021 budget is $275,600, or approximately $1,700 more than this year.

Nearly $2.6 million is requested for the public defender’s office, with the increase amounting to $12,235.

Board appointments

During the voting session, council is scheduled to fill several unpaid seats on boards and authorities.

Five citizens are on the applicant eligibility list for a seat on the county transportation authority: Arthur Bobbouine, Robert Chepalonis, Richard Gazenski, Jeffery Kubitz and John Young.

Scott Linde and Jamie Lebenson are eligible for a county redevelopment authority seat.

Only one citizen — Alan Yendrzeiwski — applied for a vacant seat on the county housing authority, the list said.

The other seats slated to be filled are on the Children and Youth Advisory Board, Farmland Preservation Board, Forty Fort Airport Advisory Board, Drug and Alcohol Commission and Workforce Investment Board.

Applications for board seats are posted on council’s authorities/boards/commissions section.

One new future opening will be on the county Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors because board member Justin Pekarovsky resigned due to work scheduling demands, the agenda said.

Wednesday meetings

The county Election Board is scheduled to meet virtually at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to review final preparations for the Nov. 3 general election.

Instructions on attending are posted on council’s authorities/boards/commissions online meeting link.

Also meeting Wednesday, at 6 p.m., is the County Cares Commission. A link to this virtual meeting is under council’s online meeting section.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.