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The Luzerne County Controller’s Office is developing a training course for tax collectors, county Controller Michelle Bednar announced during her annual presentation last week.

The free course will focus on proper tax collection procedures and emphasize the need for organization and bookkeeping skills, Bednar said.

Newly elected tax collectors and interested incumbents will be invited to attend at no cost and receive continuing education credit, Bednar said. The course will be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, she said.

County real estate taxes are received by elected collectors in 68 municipalities, and those elected posts are on the ballot this year. Three municipalities — Kingston, Kingston Township and Wilkes-Barre Township — collect county taxes because they have home rule government structures. The county treasurer’s office handles county tax collection in Newport Township and the four cities — Wilkes-Barre, Nanticoke, Hazleton and Pittston.

Bednar presented her annual report, as required by the county’s home rule charter, during last week’s county council meeting.

The annual report and most audits completed by the office are posted in the controller’s section at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/378/Controller" target="_blank" rel="noopener">luzernecounty.org</a>.

Bednar’s report listed 13 audits completed in 2020 and five already finished this year. Another 15 are pending or proposed for 2021.

With a staff of five, including the elected controller, the office came in under-budget last year, spending $262,375 of its $273,920 allocation, the report said. The office’s 2021 budget: $273,551.

Legal settlement

A council majority last week approved a $750,000 settlement with Brian Hampel to close out litigation he filed in federal court against county detectives Charles J. Balogh and Debbie Parker.

The settlement will be covered by insurance because the county paid its deductible, the agenda said.

Hampel had filed a five-count complaint over a 2016 criminal complaint filed against him. He alleged violation of his Constitutional rights, false arrest and imprisonment, malicious prosecution, abuse of process and intentional infliction of emotional distress, the agenda said.

Real estate

Council’s Real Estate Committee will meet virtually at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Councilwoman LeeAnn McDermott, who chairs the committee, said the meeting will focus on revising procedures to purchase county property and the discussion of several submitted purchase offers.

Attendance instructions are posted under council’s public meetings online link at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/1279/Public-Meetings-Online" target="_blank" rel="noopener">luzernecounty.org</a>.

Election Board

The county Election Board is scheduled to meet virtually at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, with attendance directions posted under council’s authorities/boards/commissions section at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/1282/ABC-Meetings-Online" target="_blank" rel="noopener">luzernecounty.org</a>.

Overdose deaths

The county had 23 confirmed drug overdose deaths through the end of February, with another 12 pending toxicology results, the county coroner’s office said in county Manager C. David Pedri’s latest monthly division head report.

In comparison, there were 17 drug overdose deaths through February in 2020, the office said.

The county’s overdose deaths had decreased from 172 in 2018 to 128 in 2019, but they jumped back up to 179 in 2020, records show.

Luzerne County Controller to offer course for elected tax collectors