Several options presented to transition Luzerne County Council to nine members

Yahoo

07-07-2025

Jul. 6—Now that a Luzerne County Government Study Commission majority has settled on a recommendation to reduce the 11-member county council to nine members instead of seven, it must decide how the downsizing will be implemented if the revised home rule charter is approved by voters in November.
Voters currently elect council members on a rotating schedule of five or six every two years, and the next future election in 2027 would be a six-member selection.
Three options have been proposed to transition to nine members:
—Choose six in 2027 and three instead of five in 2029. This keeps council at 11 members until the start of 2030.
—Elect six members in 2027, with four-year seats for the top five vote recipients and a two-year seat for the sixth highest vote-getter. Four members would be elected in 2029 instead of five. This option also keeps council at 11 until the start of 2030.
—Pick four members instead of six in 2027, which means the reduction to nine would take effect at the start of 2028.
Commission members debated the pros and cons of these options last week. A vote on the matter is expected at the next regular commission meeting July 17.
Commission hearing
Although only one study commission public hearing was required and held, the commission agreed to hold a second one on Wednesday in Hazle Township, particularly to accommodate southern county residents.
The hearing will be at 6 p.m. in the Hazle Township Commons Building, 103 W. 27th St. in the township.
Instructions for the remote attendance option are posted in council's online meetings section (scroll down) at luzernecounty.org.
Voting system demonstration
Also on Wednesday, from 5 to 7 p.m., the county election bureau will hold a public demonstration of county voting system options at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Attendees may complete a brief feedback survey to assist the election bureau with its recommendation of a voting system to be used in the county starting in 2026.
Reconsideration of the voting system is appropriate at this time because the five-year maintenance and support contract with the supplier, Dominion Voting System, expires at the end of this year, county Manager Romilda Crocamo has said.
In consultation with the county election board, the administration will eventually present county council with options on systems and pricing in case it wants to change, Crocamo has said. Another option for council would be negotiating a new maintenance and support contract to continue using the Dominion system for a set number of years.
Four vendors responded in February to the county's request for proposals to provide a new voting system, and all have been invited to participate in the public demonstration: Dominion, Clear Ballot Group Inc., Election Systems and Software (ES&S) and Hart InterCivic.
Ethics commission
The county ethics commission will meet at 3:30 p.m. Monday in the county courthouse.
Chaired by county Controller Walter Griffith, the commission is set to vote on the appointment of Attorney William Lawrence as commission solicitor and discuss the topic of proposing ethics code revisions to council, among other matters, the agenda said.
Council meeting
Council will hold a voting meeting and work session at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the courthouse, with remote attendance instructions posted in the online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.
Position posting
The county has publicly advertised a new consolidated GIS/Planning and Zoning Director position at $92,000, according to a posting in the human resources department career opportunities section at luzernecounty.org.
Council voted earlier this year to merge the county Mapping/GIS Department and Planning and Zoning, with the administration saying the change will enhance decisions related to planning and development.
Staff for both departments will remain the same with the exception of reducing department heads from two to one, officials had said. County GIS/Mapping Director Dan Reese has been serving as acting planning/zoning executive director since Matthew Jones resigned last May.
Applications are due July 15.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.