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<p>Kingston resident Brian Shiner paraded in front of the Luzerne County Courthouse in a rented clown costume Monday to express his displeasure over the direction of county government.</p><p>Shiner said he resorted to a demonstration outside the county seat in Wilkes-Barre because he and other citizens don&#8217;t appear to be getting their message out by regularly attending and commenting at public county meetings.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m trying to make people aware that something needs to be done,&#8221; Shiner said. &#8220;It&#8217;s not funny anymore.&#8221;</p><p>He chose his attire based on his belief county Manager Robert Lawton has been &#8220;clowning around with the way he runs government&#8221; while &#8220;a few clowns on council let him get away with it.&#8221;</p><p>Shiner&#8217;s sign &#8212; &#8220;Lose the Lawton lingo&#8221; &#8212; referenced assertions by some that Lawton doesn&#8217;t keep promises.</p><p>One of Shiner&#8217;s examples: Lawton said he would resign if he did not complete the proposed 2016 county budget by the Oct. 15 home rule charter deadline.</p><p>Lawton submitted the budget to council before midnight on that date, but Shiner said Lawton did not prepare it in ordinance form as required in the charter. The budget ordinance is on Tuesday&#8217;s council agenda.</p><p>&#8220;It wasn&#8217;t done right,&#8221; Shiner said, rattling off complaints about the growing deficit and other evidence he believes warrants Lawton&#8217;s departure. &#8220;Enough is enough. We have to stop clowning around with things.&#8221;</p><p>He was accompanied by two other protesters carrying signs seeking budget cuts without increases in taxes or a vehicle registration fee.</p><p>The county manager has proposed an 8-percent tax hike in 2016 but presented other options if council members want to avoid an increase.</p><p>Lawton, who is seeking a new position outside the area, has said he believes the county is on the path to fiscal stability. He said Monday he respects Shiner&#8217;s right to picket.</p><p>&#8220;There is no better place to celebrate America&#8217;s First Amendment freedom of expression than in front of the county courthouse on a sunny afternoon,&#8221; Lawton said.</p><p>County council members did not vote to terminate Lawton, but a majority agreed to proceed with creation of an outside search committee in light of Lawton&#8217;s reactivated job hunt.</p><p>Required by home rule, the outside volunteer committee must seek, screen and recommend manager applicants to the council.</p><p>Formation of this committee will take at least two months because council members must publicly advertise committee seats and screen and rank committee applicants before choosing up to five members who will serve.</p><p>According to the advertisement, posted at www.luzernecounty.org:</p><p>Citizens interested in serving on the committee should have a bachelor&#8217;s degree and experience in the job selection and interviewing process for high-level positions.</p><p>Committee members must be available for meetings and have the desire and ability to meet deadlines in an effort to expedite the selection process.</p><p>Employees of businesses that have contracts with the county are prohibited from serving on the county&#8217;s outside boards and authorities &#8212; a charter prohibition that also applies to the selection committee.</p><p>Applications to serve on the committee are due Nov. 13.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL102715clown.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Dressed as a clown, Kingston resident Brian Shiner pickets outside the Luzerne County Courthouse Monday with Carolyn Heinz and Judy Fisher to draw attention to county government concerns. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL102715clown.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dressed as a clown, Kingston resident Brian Shiner pickets outside the Luzerne County Courthouse Monday with Carolyn Heinz and Judy Fisher to draw attention to county government concerns. </caption0><photoCredit0>Clark Van Orden | Times Leader </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>

Man in circus attire tells Luzerne County government: “Stop clowning around.”