Luzerne County Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo will present her proposed 2022 budget during Tuesday’s county council meeting.
Crocamo said she received council’s message “loud and clear” that most are not receptive to a real estate tax increase this year.
While would not commit to a zero-hike proposal, her comment appears to indicate that is her plan. However, she added that a budget with no tax increase in 2022 likely would make an increase unavoidable in 2023.
The proposed budget will be discussed in detail at numerous public budget hearings, starting with one after Tuesday’s 6 p.m. council meeting and work session addressing 2022 budget requests for retirement, debt service and the budget reserve.
Council is set to adopt a budget on Dec. 14, which is the day before the deadline under the county’s home rule charter.
County real estate taxes are currently 6.1696 mills, which equates to a payment of $616.96 on a $100,000 property. A mill is $1 tax for every $1,000 in assessed value.
Tuesday’s meeting is at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions to attend remotely are posted on council’s online meeting link at luzernecounty.org.
DA litigation
Council also is scheduled to vote on a resolution ratifying a closed-door executive session decision to appeal a judge’s denial of a preliminary injunction that would have removed the county DA’s race from the Nov. 2 ballot.
The injunction request stemmed from litigation council and District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce filed against the county Election Board over the board’s decision to hold the race in November for a two-year term. The litigation focuses on interpretation of new state law governing DA vacancies that kicked in when Sanguedolce was appointed to fill Stefanie Salavantis’ seat upon her resignation earlier this year to run for county judge.
American Rescue
Also on council’s voting agenda is an ordinance that would use $47.5 million of the county’s $112.89 million federal earmark from the American Rescue Plan to provide a $600 rebate to approximately 77,000 owner-occupied residences.
A council majority had postponed a July vote on the proposal, which was submitted by Councilman Harry Haas, to allow for more research on whether such a break was a permissible use of the funding.
The one-time break would be granted to property owners signed up for homestead tax breaks.
If approved by council, the county treasurer’s office would be directed to disburse the funds on or before Oct. 15, the agenda said.
First assistant
Attorneys have until Oct. 20 to apply for a new $75,000 part-time first assistant solicitor position in the county’s law division, according to a posting under the career opportunities link of the human resources department at luzernecounty.org.
Crocamo said she has budgeted funds from vacancies to cover the new position through the end of the year.
She plans to request funding in the 2022 budget to keep the new position next year. To help offset the expense, Crocamo is eliminating a $39,884 part-time solicitor position.
Crocamo has said she long believed a first assistant solicitor was warranted because the office’s workload has “exploded” over the last few years. She decided to act now because a first assistant could oversee the office and provide continuity while she is acting manager.
The first assistant solicitor would help supervise staff and must be experienced in complex legal work, she has said.
Outside boards
Council’s Authorities, Boards and Commissions Committee will hold an online meeting and interview session for applicants at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Instructions to attend are posted under council’s online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.
Candidate forum
The Wilkes-Barre Chapter of The NAACP is holding an online public forum for county council candidates at 7 p.m. Thursday.
County voters will select five of 10 council candidates from any political party in the Nov. 2 general election.
A Facebook event link with details on the forum is posted at https://fb.me/e/23FGcH97T.