A proposed timeline has been prepared for Luzerne County Council to advance proposed home rule charter amendments.
Most council members decided last month that a question on whether to reconsider the county’s home rule government won’t be placed on the May 16 primary election ballot.
Councilman Stephen J. Urban had proposed the ballot question asking voters if they want to convene a seven-citizen, elected commission to assess the home rule charter and recommend whether to keep it as is, revise it, try a different structure or revert back to the prior three-commissioner system.
Council members voting against the study commission argued council should have an opportunity to bring suggested home rule improvements directly to voters through ballot questions, saying that approach won’t risk a commission recommendation to return to the old structure.
Several council members said they would support putting the study commission question on the November general election ballot if council receives legal input indicating council cannot proceed with chosen amendments.
Under a schedule the county law office recently supplied to council, all proposed charter amendments should be provided to the law office by May 1. The law office would then complete a legal analysis.
Depending on the results of that legal review, council would discuss how to proceed at the June 27 work session, it said.
Council could then introduce an ordinance for ballot questions to amend the charter or form the study commission on July 11 and proceed with an ordinance public hearing and vote on July 25.
Aug. 8 is the last possible day for council to file the chosen ordinance with the county election bureau for placement on the Nov. 7 ballot, it said.
Council members have discussed a plan to develop the proposed charter amendments through council’s strategic initiatives committee. Possible questions under consideration include reducing the size of the 11-member council and changing the composition of the election board.
Manager search
The county’s new manager search committee will hold its first meeting at 5:30 p.m. tonight at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Council appointed citizens Danielle Ader, David Fusco and Charles Sciandra to the committee, which must seek, screen and recommend manager applicants to council for its consideration.
Meeting topics include the election of a chair and vice chair and discussion about the search process, target timeline and approaches used by prior search committees, the agenda said.
Council can suggest — but not mandate — a timeline. Although council did not formally propose one, there was discussion about asking the committee to complete advertising and interviews and forward recommended applicants to council in approximately two months.
A link to attend the search committee meeting remotely will be posted in the online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.
Budget/finance
Council’s Budget, Finance and Audit Committee will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the courthouse, with a remote attendance link posted at luzernecounty.org.
This committee focuses largely on the county’s annual audit, which must be completed by June 30 under the county charter.
Meeting agenda topics include a review of the county’s 2021 audit and tentative work schedule for the upcoming 2022 audit.