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Area Agency on Aging provides listing for farmers market vouchers distribution

<p>Luzerne County Manager Robert Lawton has submitted a proposal to fund raises for 119 non-union employees and a new deputy manager position, but county council members postponed discussion at last week&#8217;s meeting.</p><p>A council majority removed the matter from Tuesday&#8217;s work session agenda because Lawton supplied them with his written proposal the day of the meeting.</p><p>Council members typically receive and publicly post supporting meeting documentation the Friday before a work session/meeting. Lawton said his submission was late in part because the courthouse was closed the day before the meeting for Labor Day, and he supported postponing discussion.</p><p>The request will be on the Sept. 22 work session agenda and possibly scheduled for a vote in October.</p><p>Lawton wants to use savings from bidding out inmate health care to pay for both: $146,534 for the non-union raises and $35,000 for a new deputy manager.</p><p>Council approval is required under the home rule charter because the necessary budget transfers involve the movement of allocations from one division to another. The manager only has the power to transfer funds within divisions and departments on his own.</p><p>Lawton also proposes transferring $537,000 in savings from 25 positions that were not filled during the first seven months of the year to fund raises awarded in three union agreements finalized earlier this year.</p><p>His final proposal: transfer $3.8 million in savings from a debt restructuring into separate funds so the money isn&#8217;t used for day-to-day operating expenses.</p><p>Most &#8212; $3.6 million &#8212; would go into the reserve as part of a plan to erase the county&#8217;s deficit. Another $200,000 would be placed in the contingency fund.</p><p>The county&#8217;s auditor had estimated the county&#8217;s deficit was $16.2 million at the end of 2014, though a recent proposed final audit presented to council for its approval said the county was $16.9 million in the red.</p><p>Lawton said during his mid-year report in August the county is financially stable enough to provide the raises and create the new management position.</p><p>He projected the county will be back in the black by more than $1 million at the end of 2017 due to additional infusions from property sales, the liquidation of money set aside for an expired tax-break program and the temporary elimination of a county homestead tax break on owner-occupied residences.</p><p>The raises, which would total $514,000 in 2016, were recommended by Johnstown-based HR Consultants Inc., which analyzed the compensation for 163 county non-union positions.</p><p>Union workers have negotiated general wage increases averaging between 12 and 16 percent since 2009, while non-union workers who are not employed in court branches received no raises since 2008, Lawton has said.</p><p>The deputy manager position would cost $140,000 in 2016, including benefits, Lawton said.</p><p>A second-in-command would address concerns over what would happen if the manager suddenly leaves and also provide needed administrative support, Lawton said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Lawton </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_lawtonnewuse.jpg</photo0><caption0>Lawton </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Lawton submits proposal to fund Luzerne County government raises and new deputy