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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Mayor Tony George confirmed the daughter of a member of his transition team was hired for a parking enforcement job.</p><p>George said the job was posted and there was no favoritism shown to Heather Burke, the daughter of Donald Fiorucci, a former deputy fire chief.</p><p>&#8220;She applied for anything in March or February,&#8221; George said Thursday.</p><p>The parking enforcement position pays $22,000 a year and is a union spot with the Laborers International Union of North America Local 1310 that represents City Hall employees.</p><p>Fiorucci served on the transition team after George, a Democrat, beat Republican challenger Frank Sorick in the general election last November. Last month, the city council approved George&#8217;s appointment of Fiorucci to the Fire Civil Service Commission. He replaced a commission member whose term expired.</p><p>New hires would be made with an eye toward the city&#8217;s finances as George has expressed concerns about possible revenue shortfalls in he $51.5 million balanced budget left by his predecessor Mayor Tom Leighton. George has said he would consider adding parking enforcement and other revenue producing positions because they pay for themselves.</p><p>&#8220;We need another one,&#8221; George said of a second opening in parking enforcement. He said he wants to hire people he knows are good workers.</p><p>According to a draft of the June financial report, as of the end of last month, the city collected $131,980 for parking violations or 29 percent of the $450,000 budgeted. This year, parking enforcement and traffic control were budgeted for $304,326 in combined salaries and benefits.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">George </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL050416tony-george1.jpg</photo0><caption0>George </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</p></shirttailMeta></div>

No favoritism shown in new hire, says Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George