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Area High School Box  Scores

By MICHAEL McNARNEY mmcnarney@leader.net
 Monday, January 06, 2003 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





WILKES-BARRE - Tom Leighton says he won't seek another year as chairman of
the Wilkes-Barre City Council because 2003 ``is going to be a very busy
year.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Leighton, coming off a year when he used the chairman's seat as a bully
pulpit to raise his voice and his visibility, had been spoken of as a
potential two-term chairman. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Traditionally, the current vice chairman - Mike McGinley, in this case -
becomes chairman when the new year begins. But Leighton is in a unique
position, raking in $47,350 in campaign contributions in less than three
months of 2002 and paying $33,455 to political consultant Ed Mitchell. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Councilman Tony Thomas Jr. said McGinley and Leighton were both in the
running for the chairmanship, and a decision was to have been made over the
weekend before today's official vote at City Hall at 5 p.m. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``We (council members) are talking with each other on the phones and seeing
what the best situation is,'' Thomas said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Thomas said he supports McGinley, who was chairman when Thomas joined the
council in 2000. Thomas said he would like McGinley to focus on budgetary
matters and running the meetings, which would allow Leighton - though not
chairman - to focus on the downtown theater project and other development
issues. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McGinley said he'd like to be chairman, but ``we'll have to see what they
decide.'' McGinley was frozen out of leadership roles on the council for two
years, in 1997 and 1998, prompting public criticism by McGinley of the
selection process. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Councilman Jim McCarthy said there was once a gentleman's agreement
decreeing that the chairman's job would rotate. Unfortunately, McCarthy said,
``last year they kind of forgot about it.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I'm pretty much the odd man out,'' McCarthy said. ``I don't go along with
the gang.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Leighton has been chairman three of the last 11 years and vice chairman
four more years. Councilman Phil Latinski has been chairman twice in that
period, as was former Councilman Bernard Mengeringhausen. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McGinley, McCarthy, former Councilman (now Mayor) Tom McGroarty and the
late Al Boris have each held the chairman's gavel once in the last 12 years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The chairman is paid $13,974 a year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Michael McNarney, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7305. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wilkes-barre Politics 
Leighton Says He's Too Busy For Chair 
W-b City Councilman Doesn't Want To Return As The Council Chairman. Mike
Mcginley Could Get The Job.

Wilkes-barre Politics Leighton Says He's Too Busy For Chair W-b City Councilman Doesn't Want To Return As The Council Chairman. Mike Mcginley Could Get The Job.