Since Luzerne County voters agreed to activate a government study commission, a 7-person panel is expected to quickly start working.
Within 10 days of the county election board certifying the primary election results, commission members need to take an oath before a county judge, according to the “Home Rule in Pennsylvania” handbook by the Pennsylvania Governor’s Center for Local Government Services.
According to state law, the commission must hold its first public organizational meeting as soon as possible, but no later than 15 days after the election certification. The election board certifies after a period of adjudication and reconciliation, which typically takes at least a week.
During the first organizational meeting, the commission should also choose officers, agree on general procedural rules, create a plan to keep an official record of meetings, and set a meeting schedule, as stated in the state handbook.
“Having a regular and well-publicized time and place for commission meetings is crucial for encouraging citizen attendance,” it said.
The commission will have nine months to report findings and recommendations, and another nine months if it is opting to prepare and submit government changes. An extra two months is allowed if the commission is recommending electing council by district instead of at large.
Ultimately, voters must approve any commission recommendation for it to take effect.
All seven members elected to the commission had said they were not advocating a return to the previous three-commissioner/row officer structure that was replaced by home rule’s 2012 implementation.
The county’s last 11-person study commission held weekly meetings, broadcast online, between June and December 2009, when it decided to take the next step and draft a proposed charter. It released a final report and recommended charter in August 2010, which was approved by voters in the November 2010 general election.
The commission hired a solicitor and the Pennsylvania Economy League as a consultant to help.
The handbook mentioned that a study commission’s work is “considerable,” stating that past commissions have had around 50 meetings on average, with some having up to 100.
“Commission members will need to devote hundreds of hours to meetings, workshops, and hearings, with many more spent studying and researching in private,” it said.
The chosen candidates to serve on the commission, as per unofficial primary election results, are Cindy Malkemes, Dallas Township; Vito Malacari, Hanover Township; Mark Shaffer, Wilkes-Barre; Stephen J. Urban, Kingston; Ted Ritsick, Forty Fort; Timothy McGinley, Kingston; and Matt Mitchell, Plains Township.
Urban, McGinley, and Mitchell previously worked on county council.
Based on his experiences on the council, Mitchell said he has already been considering numerous subjects to discuss with fellow commission members, placing emphasis on charter provisions that may conflict with superseding state law.
Mitchell stated that the commission will play an important role in creating suggestions to enhance the home rule structure.
“It’s a very serious thing and important for county government and its residents,” Mitchell commented.
Shaffer expressed on Wednesday that he is “truly excited” and anticipates that his experience as a research analyst at The Institute will be beneficial in this role.
Having former council members on the panel will also be beneficial, Shaffer noted.
Public input will be crucial because the committee needs to persuade voters that any changes will improve the government, he stated.
“In the end, people have to vote on it, so it has to be something people want,” Shaffer remarked.
McGinley anticipates that much of the immediate focus will be on securing a consultant and independent solicitor to ensure the commission’s suggestions are legally sound and complete.
He desires constructive debate and extensive feedback to reach decisions, stating that the issues the panel will be discussing often are intertwined with pros and cons.
“I’m looking forward to getting input from all the different sources and other commission members to come up with a game plan,” McGinley said. “This is not political. It’s work for the people to have a better government and services for them.”
