Radle

Radle

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Kendra Radle said she disagrees with fellow Luzerne County Councilman Stephen J. Urban’s appointment to a county election board chairmanship seat and won’t alter that stance just because they are both Republicans.

And while she remains a proud Republican, Radle also announced Thursday she is stepping down as vice chair of the county Republican party “with regret” in case that organization ends up taking a position in support of Urban and the two Republican county election board members who put him on the board — Joyce Dombroski-Gebhardt and Keith Gould.

The county’s home rule charter says no election board member “shall be or have been an elective county official” at the time of their appointment and at least four years prior.

“I can’t in good conscience support elected officials who feel they’re above the law,” Radle said.

Radle said the county Republican organization may be expected to back Urban’s appointment and oppose potential county council efforts to remove Dombroski-Gebhardt, Gould and Urban from their election board seats.

“This is going to be a huge conflict, and I have to support what is right,” Radle said.

While Radle believes Dombroski-Gebhardt and Gould were wrong to make the appointment after Chief County Solicitor Romilda Crocamo pointed out the charter prohibition, she places even more blame on Urban for accepting the appointment.

“It’s very clear to me in the charter that he can’t serve on the election board, let alone as chair. He knew that and still accepted it,” Radle said.

In taking the election board chairmanship, Urban had said he believes that the board’s appointment of a council member is permitted under state law and that a legal challenge would resolve the issue.

Crocamo said Thursday she is confident the state’s law governing home rule charters allows home rule counties to choose the structure of their election boards, and Luzerne County’s voter-approved charter called for all-citizen board.

Radle’s release about the resignation included this statement:

“After much consideration, I cannot, in good conscience represent all of the citizens of Luzerne County as a member of Luzerne County Council while also holding an office within the Luzerne County Republican Party Executive Committee. While I am resigning from my position as the vice chair, my Republican values have not wavered. An important role of the county Republican Party is to support all Republican candidates and elected officials. At this time, I feel that I have to take a stand to support what is right, what is just, what is ethical, and what is moral, over that of an entirely Republican agenda. I wish all the success to the Luzerne County Republican Party and will miss working alongside a great Chairman, Mr. Justin Behrens. I will continue to support the Luzerne County GOP in an unofficial capacity moving forward.”

More Republican feedback

Republican Council members Chris Perry, LeeAnn McDermott, Harry Haas and Walter Griffith also weighed in on the election board appointment Thursday.

Perry, the council vice chairman, said he found it “very concerning” when he learned about the election board appointment and believes it is a “very clear violation of the charter.”

Council members pledge to uphold the charter when they take their oath of office, Perry said.

Perry also said he relies on the county law office’s legal interpretation of the charter and other laws because attorneys have legal training and experience.

Council has a special meeting Tuesday to address the election board’s action and potential council responses.

“I will listen to input from the office of law Tuesday and act accordingly,” Perry said.

McDermott said she reviews laws in her council role but is “not a lawyer.”

“I will take their expert legal advice,” McDermott said of the county law office. “Regardless of party, it’s important the charter is followed.”

Haas said he was “definitely surprised” to learn of Urban’s appointment.

“I just want to follow the law,” Haas said.

Griffith said he had no idea the election board’s Republicans intended to appoint Urban and said he was “not involved in it.”

He said he does not support “going rogue” and “violating the charter because you can,” but he argues it is not the first time.

“I don’t agree with the process they’re following, but the charter has been violated by others before with no outrage,” Griffith said. “It’s selective county charter violation outrage.”

He points to council’s creation of a County Cares Commission last year that includes three council members in addition to citizens appointed by council, asserting it violates multiple home rule charter sections that say no county elected official can be appointed to any county board, authority or commission.

In reply to his email on that topic Thursday, Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck told Griffith the Cares Commission and Blighted Property Review Committee, which also includes a council member, are ad hoc entities created by council and different from the boards established by the home rule charter.

Both County Cares and Blighted Property are standing committees of council that include citizens and involve monthly updates at council meetings, McClosky Houck said.

“The same is not true of the Board of Elections, the Retirement Board, and the Tax Assessment Appeals Board; these boards are established by the charter and subject to the restrictions and provisions of the charter, as we have all been aware, for these many years,” McClosky Houck wrote, signing off, “sincerely yours in the interest of better government.”

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