Thirty-one workers were hired in Luzerne County government in July, while 18 left county employment, according to the new monthly personnel report.
Seventeen new employees are in human services departments, including 10 Children and Youth caseworkers.
These human services workers, along with their positions and hourly compensation: Rhianna Brown, Ayla Garcia Rios, Dylan Kelly, Selena Lucent-George, Dominic Palermo, James Rushton, Colby Santillo, Ryan Senholzi and Ivy Vazquez, Children and Youth caseworker 1s, $20.30; Phyllis Drum, Aging Agency alternate senior center operator, $16.66; Marissa Hitchcock, Aging Agency care manager, $22.64; Tara Jackson, Mental Health/Developmental Services (MH/DS) fiscal technician, $17.70; Phaedra Joseph, Children and Youth caseworker 2, $22.64; Joseph Krajewski, MH/DS accountant 1, $20.56; Lauren Seigfried, drug and alcohol case management specialist, $20.66; Paula Walker, Aging Agency accountant 1, $20.56; and Donna Yeninas, Aging Agency case aide, $16.66.
The new employees in other departments: Adam Bompadre, assistant public defender, $45.60; Carileisy Calcano and Kimberly Taddei, prothonotary clerks, $15.85; John Corrigan and James Shoemaker, prison lieutenants, $30.29; Tiffany Dehaza, Anthony Derosa and Elizabeth Paulewicz, 911 telecommunicators, $18.15; Brittany Dobbs, 911 part-time calltaker, $15; Brittany Edgington, public defender clerk/stenographer, $15.85; Robert Kenney, planning/zoning analyst, $23.33; Ty Madden, assessors clerk, $14.72; Danielle Shutt, budget/finance senior accountant, $26.37; and Kimyala Solomon, election bureau administrative assistant, $16.50.
Departures
Three workers retired last month — prison lieutenants William Brown and Randal Williams and Aging Agency care manager supervisor Cynthia Sutton, the report said.
Eleven employees resigned: 911 telecommunicators Heather Bocker and Samantha Durning; Children and Youth program specialist David Gaugler; Children and Youth caseworker supervisor Maria Graziano; assessor’s office appraisal manager Michael Lavelle; engineer/fleet manager William McIntosh; building/grounds custodial worker Kara Rasimas; community development executive director Andrew Reilly; 911 director Fred Rosencrans; assistant public defender Christine Trout; and Children and Youth caseworker 2 Lisa Vandermark.
The workers listed under the termination category, according to the report, were Children and Youth caseworker 2 Kate DiPietro and prison corrections officers Brandon Fiedorczyk, Bailey Hayden and Radu Spinghel.
Position changes
Eight workers transferred to different positions last month through the internal merit hiring process.
The employees, along with their new jobs and hourly compensation, according to the report: Rebecca Barber and Sherri Seiwell-Hartman, Children and Youth caseworker supervisors, $25.27; Frank Lasiewicki, 911 technical support supervisor, $28.21; Robert Lehman, deputy sheriff, $15.81; Allison Lussier, human resources deputy director, $32.56; Sandra O’Looney, MH/DS administrative assistant, $16.83; Diane Panek, Children and Youth program specialist, $34.79; and Thomas Patton, prison librarian, $27.23.
Budget plans
Incoming acting Budget/Finance division head Mary Roselle has issued a detailed 2024 budget planning schedule.
Roselle is the county’s Aging Agency executive director and has been selected by county Manager Romilda Crocamo to serve as interim budget/finance division head when Brian Swetz leaves that position on Aug. 24 to oversee finances for Wilkes-Barre city government.
Crocamo also had previously asked Roselle to serve on a budget team she has created that includes Crocamo, Budget/Finance Deputy Director Chris Dalessandro and Deputy Controller Thomas Sokola.
Roselle has worked as a finance manager in the public sector and has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance and an MBA in finance — both from Wilkes University.
Under Roselle’s budget calendar, managers must enter their proposed 2024 budgets in the county’s computerized financial system by Aug. 18. Other deadlines were set for reviewing and finalizing numbers. Public release of the recommended budget is set for Oct. 10.
Crocamo already has informed managers to freeze their total 2024 requests at this year’s amount, saying she won’t be requesting a real estate tax increase.