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North River Street reopens to traffic

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Our View: Overstating the ‘blue wave’ a grave mistake

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; From a pay cut in the mayor&#8217;s salary to using a combination of paid and volunteer firefighters, residents Thursday night offered a variety of suggestions during city council&#8217;s budget hearing.</p><p>Council listened, but took no action on the $50.4 million spending plan proposed by Mayor Tony George for 2019. The vote is likely to come on Nov. 20 when the plan is on the agenda for the combined work session and regular meeting. Residents will have a second chance to comment then.</p><p>George attended the 30-minute hearing and responded to a few questions about his budget that does not contain a property tax increase next year. He did not stay for the council meeting afterward, continuing the practice he began when he took office in 2016.</p><p>John Suchoski said he had no problems with the budget overall, but suggested cutting the mayor&#8217;s $82,000 annual salary to somewhere in the range of $72,000 to $75,000.</p><p>&#8220;Where we take our trash, was that bid out?&#8221; Suchoski asked.</p><p>Both George and Director of Operations Butch Frati said the city has been driving its garbage trucks to Dunmore to use the Keystone Sanitary Landfill for as long as they can remember. The $425,000 budgeted for tipping fees won&#8217;t change next year. George said he was able to negotiate a reduced rate when he took office.</p><p>Frati added that the landfill run by Waste Management in Taylor is closer and competitive in price, but it&#8217;s easier to drive up to Interstate 81 to Keystone instead of traveling the Pennsylvania Turnpike and pay a toll to get to the other landfill.</p><p><strong>&#8216;Doing basically nothing&#8217;</strong></p><p>Resident Sam Troy called for the imposition of an amusement tax and increasing the mercantile and business taxes to generate additional revenues. He also proposed the creation of a citizen committee appointed by the mayor to work with council on making recommendations on finances and budget matters.</p><p>&#8220;I believe the whole process should involve the community at large more,&#8221; Troy said.</p><p>City Administrator Ted Wampole disagreed on the tax increases, saying they are high enough. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s a good idea,&#8221; Wampole said.</p><p>Tom Dombrowski took aim at the lifetime benefits awarded to the surviving spouses of city employees and the fire department.</p><p>&#8220;But generally speaking, there&#8217;s only so many times you can wash the fire truck. A lot of times the (non-emergency medical technician) firefighters are sitting there doing basically nothing,&#8221; Dombrowski said. He raised the possibility of going to a volunteer force during the day shift and full time at night when he said most fires occur.</p><p>Wampole explained the city has to honor negotiated contracts that include the benefits and can&#8217;t unilaterally make changes.</p><p>&#8220;You have to start looking at new ways to generate capital,&#8221; Simon Saba told council. He couldn&#8217;t list all his suggestions in the five minutes he had to speak. But he said the city should consider taxing non-taxable entities such as schools, colleges, hospitals, churches and non-profits.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">George </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL101618Budget1.cmyk_.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>

WB residents offer input on mayor’s salary, firefighters at budget hearing