County councilman worried about manager’s bond [The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.]

Jan. 23--An insurance company will not renew a bond to insure Luzerne County Manager Robert Lawton, Councilman Edd Brominski said Tuesday's meeting.

Lawton's current bond expires at the end of February. Brominski also produced a letter from Platte River Insurance Co. expressing concerns about Lawton's authority to sign checks. The councilman objected he never saw the letter, noting Ken Mohr, a consultant from Lehigh County, was provided a copy.

Lawton said he would not have any problems getting another bond, signing checks and authorizing budget transfers. Before council hired Lawton, it took several weeks to get bond for Lawton because of credit problems involving the mortgage of a property Lawton owned in California.

Council Vice Chairwoman Linda McClosky Houck said she is confident Lawton will get a bond by March, explaining the insurer doesn't want to renew coverage because it will no longer provide that kind of coverage.

In December 2010, county officials and service providers began a lengthy process to obtain a security bond for Lawton to ensure he would faithfully fulfill his duties as manager.

After securing a bond to provide up to $1 million, council voted to hire Lawton as county manager.

The premium for Lawton's bond was $6,038. Tom Pribula's bond as interim manager cost $5,250 for annual coverage and would have provided up to $2 million. Lawton replaced Pribula as the permanent manager Feb. 29.

In other business:

n The southside entrance to the county courthouse will reopen today, officials said. The entrance has been closed since last month because of staffing problems.

n Michael J. Savona, a Philadelphia-area attorney representing the Luzerne County Tax Collectors Association, told council members they cannot eliminate services from 69 elected municipal tax collectors.

The county home-rule charter does not give council to authority to deviate from state requirement and discontinue use of the elected tax collectors, Savona said.

Lawton is recommending that county personnel, rather than elected municipal tax collectors, collect county property tax revenue. Council members are divided over the proposal and plan to meet Jan. 29 to discuss it.

Council must adopt an ordinance by Feb. 15 to eliminate the use of elected tax collectors or cut their pay. The change would take effect next year. It would save $258,555 a year and generate $130,000 in new revenue for the county, Lawton said.

Tax collectors are elected in 69 of the 76 municipalities in the county to collect property taxes for municipalities, school districts and the county. Their pay rates vary and are determined by each local governing body. The county has paid them $3.50 for each tax bill issued.

Hazle Township Tax Collector Michael DeCosmo said tax collectors would accept cutting the pay rate for unpaid tax bills from $3.50 to $1.75. That reduction would save the county about $100,000 over four years, DeCosmo said, adding he didn't think the county could realize any savings by replacing 69 elected tax collectors with three county employees.

Councilman Stephen A. Urban suggested that council Chairman Tim McGinley meet with the tax collectors to reduce costs. The 69 tax collectors are elected to four year terms, and those positions are on the ballot this year.

mbuffer@citizensvoice.com, 50-821-2073

___

(c)2013 The Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)

Visit The Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) at citizensvoice.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services