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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Four months after the administration put long-term debt restructuring on the table, it was still there and city Administrator Ted Wampole pushed hard for that option Tuesday.</p><p>At city council&#8217;s work session, Wampole made clear it was preferred over the short-term debt deal that&#8217;s also an option. Both are on the agenda for council&#8217;s public meeting Thursday.</p><p>The city needs cash to be able to pay its bills next year and the route mapped out by the city&#8217;s financial adviser is designed to steer it clear of Act 47 and the tight financial controls that would be imposed with the designation of distressed status by the state.</p><p>&#8220;We need the stability. We also need the stability to go out and start working on the Solomon Creek project,&#8221; Wampole said.</p><p>The long-term restructuring will level out the annual payments and improve the cash flow, he said, reiterating points he made previously. The short-term plan would offer two years of help, but hamper the city&#8217;s efforts to replace damaged sections of the creek wall and force it into a cycle of restructuring, Wampole argued.</p><p>Council wouldn&#8217;t show its full hand on which of the ordinances it might approve.</p><p>Councilman Mike Merritt expressed concerns about continuing union contracts that guarantee health care for life and the parity pay clause between the firefighters and police.</p><p>&#8220;This will give us some room to go ahead and play with,&#8221; Merritt said, &#8220;but we could be in the same spot in another couple years.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Personally, from my standpoint, obviously to do nothing I would think is being irresponsible,&#8221; said councilman Tony Brooks. He added he felt comfortable with Wampole&#8217;s assurance that the city would develop a five-year financial plan as if it was under Act 47 constraints.</p><p>&#8220;Ted, is the mayor going to stick to the five-year plan?&#8221; asked councilman Mike Belusko. Wampole replied that Mayor Tony George would.</p><p>Council chairwoman Beth Gilbert questioned Wampole about whether there is a back-up plan for Solomon Creek if neither debt plan passes.</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t see us being able to afford that,&#8221; Wampole said.</p><p>He explained that even though the city received a $500,000 grant from the state for the project, the administration would be reluctant to proceed if it could not pay for it in full.</p><p>The city estimated the wall replacement would cost $5.5 million. There would be money for the project under the long-term plan that has maximum limits of $52 million in principal and $59.7 million in interest. The short-term plan has maximum parameters of $12 million in principal and $12.5 million in interest. Both are new ordinances with different costs due to council&#8217;s delay on approving a plan.</p><p>&#8220;This is not an easy decision,&#8221; Wampole said.</p><p><ins>For other local news stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/category/local" target="_blank">click here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<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>

Debt restructuring back before Wilkes-Barre city council for vote