Luzerne County Courthouse Luzerne County Council is set to vote Tuesday on a $500,000 federal American Rescue Plan allocation to the Luzerne County Fair’s nonprofit overseer to repair flood damage at the Dallas fairground caused by severe September 2023 rain.
Council had delayed a vote until the administration had time to respond to outstanding questions from some council members.
Alan Pugh, president of the nonprofit Dallas Area Fall Fair Inc.’s executive board, has said he appreciates any assistance council can provide and stressed the fair will be held as scheduled in September.
Council’s meeting is at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, with instructions for the remote attendance option posted on council’s online public meetings link at luzernecounty.org .
Opioid allocation
Council also is scheduled to vote on a request to spend $985,500 of the county’s opioid litigation settlement funds on a multimedia yearlong advertising campaign with Nexstar Media Group, which includes WBRE and WYOU TV.
The agreement was recommended by the county’s new Commission on Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement, which must identify and recommend uses for $25 million the county is expected to receive over 18 years from the state’s settlement against opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors.
Council has the final say on how the money is spent.
The commission did not publicly seek proposals from other outside entities before making the recommendation, citing an existing human services division contract with the media company for public service advertisements.
The county was informed it must earmark $1 million in 2022-awarded settlement funds by the end of August to avoid returning them, and another $1 million in prior receipts must be earmarked by the end of this year.
In total, the county has approximately $3 million in opioid funds available at this time.
The commission was activated in May with council’s appointment of citizen Mary Butera, who serves along with council Chairman John Lombardo, county Manager Romilda Crocamo, county District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce, county Drug and Alcohol Administrator Ryan Hogan, county Human Services Division Head Lynn Hill and county Correctional Services Division Head James Wilbur.
The commission has taken the position that its meetings are not public because it is advisory and not a decision-making body.
Sanguedolce said council and the public will have an opportunity to comment on all proposed expenditures when council considers them for a vote.
Crocamo, who chairs the commission, also will provide reports at every council meeting on the topics discussed at these advisory meetings, he said. The commission also will be publicly posting its meeting minutes on the county website and hold quarterly public forums for the public to provide feedback, Sanguedolce said.
Tax break request
A revised tax break for a Hazle Township project is up for discussion at council’s work session, which follows Tuesday’s voting meeting, the agenda said.
Council had removed Flint Development’s tax break request from its voting agenda in March after some council members raised concerns about the percentage of real estate taxes that would be forgiven and the need for county participation.
Flint sought the break on two adjacent parcels in the Humboldt Industrial Park in Hazle Township under the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) program for blighted properties, which means the property owner pays real estate taxes on the land throughout the break and receives a discount on taxes for the new development.
It is seeking 80% forgiveness of county taxes for 10 years on new construction.
This is an alteration of the previous proposal seeking the following reductions over the decade, starting with the first year and ending with the tenth: 90%, 87.5%, 85%, 82.5%, 80%, 75%, 70%, 65%, 60% and 55%.
The project constructing two buildings totaling 802,732 square feet can generate more than $1 million in additional annual real estate tax revenue for taxing bodies after the LERTA expires, including more than $300,000 projected for the county, it said. Taxing bodies also will collect more than they are currently receiving throughout the break, it said.
Council would have to vote at a future meeting for the break to take effect.
Election deputy
The county has posted the deputy election director position that became vacant due to Emily Cook’s recent promotion to county election director.
Applications are due July 15, and the position is advertised at $50,000 annually.
More information is available under the human resources department career opportunities section at luzernecounty.org .
County Election Operations Director Steve Hahn started serving as acting deputy election director when Cook was appointed acting election director in February. Crocamo announced Cook’s permanent appointment as election director last month.
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