Luzerne County Budget and Finance Division Head Mary Roselle provided an update on 2027 budget preparations at last week’s County Council meeting.
County Manager Romilda Crocamo instituted status reports to better prepare the council in advance.
The budget is set for introduction at the council’s Oct. 13 meeting and targeted for adoption at the Dec. 8 meeting.
Roselle told the council she met with all division and department heads at least once to review every line item in their budget submissions.
She expects the proposed budget will include requests for two new positions and nine position alterations that will be discussed at length during public presentations to the council.
There also will be requests from some departments for a total 25 compensation increases above the administration-recommended standard flat percentage — another matter council will have to weigh during its budget consideration, Roselle said.
A major budget driver will be compensation increases required in several union contracts and memorandums of understanding approved by council this year, she said.
Roselle noted the election bureau’s budget request, which was approved by the county Election Board, does not include funds for additional mail ballot drop boxes.
A council majority had voted Sept. 8 to ask the election board to consider adding more mail ballot drop boxes. Board members said it is too close to the Nov. 3 general election to perform the due diligence required to add a location, but some members said it’s possible the request could be considered next year.
County Election Director Emily Cook has said approximately $20,000 would be needed for each box, including security cameras and software/maintenance agreements.
In addition to budget discussions at three regularly scheduled meetings in October and November, two additional council budget hearings have been scheduled on Oct. 20 and Nov. 17, Roselle said.
Opioid commission
The county’s Commission on Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the courthouse.
This panel makes earmark recommendations to the council, which has the final say on awards from the county’s share of the state’s settlement against opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors. Allocations must comply with settlement fund eligibility protocols.
The link for remote attendance is in the council’s online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.
Voting system
The county election bureau will start required public “logic and accuracy” testing of the county’s voting equipment at 10 a.m. Thursday in the county voter warehouse, 135 Water St. in Wilkes-Barre.
A brief presentation will be held at the start of the testing. The entrance is at the side of the building.
Hirings
Eighteen county government workers were hired in August, while four prior employees were rehired, according to the county human resources department’s monthly personnel report.
The new workers, their positions and hourly compensation, it said: Rocco Bove, Robert Sutton, Adam Swiech, Dustin Thomas, and Ismail Zuberi, deputy sheriff 1s, $20.19; Gianna Daniels, public defender clerk/stenographer 2, $16.67; Trevor Dennison, district attorney administrative assistant, $18.45; Caitlin Estock, district attorney clerk 2, $16.08; Melinda Koonrad, 911 data entry/clean clerk, $18.87; Timothy Kropa and Emely Ortiz Mercado, Children, Youth and Families (CYF) caseworker 1s, $22.56; Victoria Kuniskas, probation services administrative aide, $15.67; Arianna Lai, courts administrative trial specialist, $18.96; Kimberly Litz, prothonotary clerk 3, $16.67; David Ries, domestic relations enforcement officer, $23.08; Julianna Saltz, public defender caseworker 1, $22.22; Linda Sue Warnick, Area Agency on Aging case aide 2, $17.95; and Donna Zehner, treasurer clerk 3, $15.55;
The rehired employees and their positions: Nicholas Cave, community development executive director, $38.46; William D’Angelo, CYF caseworker supervisor, $28.70; Megan Graham, magisterial district court clerk 5, $17.61; and Stephanie Kellam, CYF caseworker 1, $22.56.
Departures
Nine workers resigned in August, the report said: Megan Britt, Alicia Clayworth, Daniel Feigenblatt, and Bailey Smallcomb — 911 telecommunicators; Chad Drust, prison corrections officer; Laura Hatem, CYF caseworker 1; Amanda Knight, court civil division administrative specialist; Princess Morgan, prison treatment coordinator; and Carly Snyder, CYF caseworker 2.
Assessor’s clerk Susan Griffith was listed as deceased.
Two workers were terminated, the report said: deputy sheriff 1 Jonathan Brantley and prison corrections officer Tyler Smith.
Transfers
A dozen workers changed jobs through the internal merit hiring process, the report said.
These employees, their new positions, and hourly compensation, according to the report: Sally Atkins, domestic relations clerk 3 intake specialist, $16.97; Marcos Ballard, Redell Blackwell, Bradley Gallipani, and Jarret Townsend, Minimal Offenders Unit corrections officer 2s, $19.05; Maria Charney, CYF clerk typist 3, $19.49; Jason Fierman, prison corrections officer, $34.99; Jennifer Henry, licensing administrative assistant, $17.32; Rebekah Kondraski, domestic relations clerk 3, $16.39; Nicholas Kopko, CYF clerk typist 3, $21.62; Jordan Riley, part-time aging agency case aide 2, $17.95; and Coady Skelley, assessor’s real property field investigator 2, $16.67.
Also, Christopher Fotta changed positions and is now a CYF social service aide 3 at $17.95 per hour, the report said.