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Penn State checks in at No. 14 in first College Football Playoff rankings

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Couple who died in Yosemite liked life on the edge

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Happy with the direction of the city during his first three years in office Mayor Tony George said he will run for reelection next year.</p><p>George, who turned 67 Tuesday, had talked about a second term, but made it dependent upon results in his first.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m definitely going to be running,&#8221; said George, a Democrat.</p><p>No challengers have announced their candidacies, but George said,&#8221;I&#8217;m sure there&#8217;s going to be opposition.&#8221;</p><p>George, a former police chief and city council member, said he likes what&#8217;s begun under his administration and wants &#8220;to see them come to fruition&#8221; with election to another four-year term.</p><p>Among the achievements he listed were the start of the Solomon Creek wall reconstruction project that&#8217;s funded largely with state grants, improved labor relations with the unionized police and fire departments, a new bridge planned for Division Street, a deal in the works to sell the Park &amp; Lock East parkade, interest in the former First National Bank building on Public Square and a drop in crime.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m happy with the way things are going,&#8221; George said.</p><p><strong>Budget hearing</strong></p><p>Residents will have the opportunity to critique his administration and his <a href="https://www.wilkes-barre.city/sites/wilkes-barrepa/files/uploads/proposed_2019_budget.pdf" target="_blank">proposed $50.4 million balanced budget</a> for 2019 at an upcoming public hearing next week. The mayor did not raise property taxes in his proposed spending plan.</p><p>City council has scheduled the hearing for 6 p.m. on Nov. 8 before its regularly scheduling public meeting at City Hall.</p><p>George, who has attended only a handful of council meetings since he took office in January 2016, said he will attend the budget hearing.</p><p>So will Bob Kadluboski, the only person to speak at last year&#8217;s hearing, which lasted under 15 minutes.</p><p>Kadluboski, who frequently attends the council meetings and criticizes the mayor and his administration, said he&#8217;s going to be asking for state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale to conduct a forensic audit of the city&#8217;s pension plans and explain how part-time employees are eligible for pension benefits.</p><p>Another issue Kadluboski said he intends to bring up is the mayor&#8217;s $82,000-a- year salary and his medical insurance, budgeted at $29,915 next year.</p><p>Kadluboski said he&#8217;s heard that the city&#8217;s unionized employees are willing to give concessions in their ongoing contract negotiations if the administration takes pay cuts.</p><p>&#8220;Lead by example,&#8221; Kadluboski urged the mayor and his administration.</p><p>&#8220;Lead by example, that&#8217;s for sure,&#8221; Kadluboski said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">George </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_NAACP-Banquet-3.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>

Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George to seek second term