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<p>Luzerne County Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck faced some pushback from the administration this week over her proposed resolution to corral all county fiscal staff under the budget/finance division.</p><p>While they would report to budget/finance, impacted employees could continue working in their current departments and focusing on their specialized areas, she said.</p><p>McClosky Houck argues the change would help the budget/finance division stay on top of financial issues or concerns that may not be communicated by the departments, such as this year&#8217;s discovery that Children and Youth has been unable to provide supporting records for $2.5 million in agency funds in 2017. She said she is not accusing anyone of fraud, but it&#8217;s always a possibility.</p><p>&#8221;I think it&#8217;s something we all have to be vigilant about, especially given the history of this county,&#8221; she said.</p><p>County Manager C. David Pedri, who previously served as county chief solicitor, peppered McClosky Houck with questions on her proposal during this week&#8217;s work session, at one point prompting her to question if she was being &#8220;cross-examined.&#8221;</p><p>She subsequently sent an email to council Chairman Tim McGinley asking him to remind the manager of meeting decorum, saying it was Pedri&#8217;s second &#8220;verbal attack&#8221; against a council member at a public meeting in six weeks. She said she welcomed the administration&#8217;s valid concerns but believed the manager&#8217;s questioning format was &#8220;inappropriate&#8221; during &#8220;what was supposed to be a civil discussion&#8221; by council on the concept and proposed policy.</p><p>In a statement released Thursday, Pedri said he should question the proposal because it would be a &#8220;major upheaval&#8221; that changes the entire day-to-day operations of county government.</p><p>&#8220;No person who presents in front of any government body is above questioning,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;I certainly do not expect a free pass or a rubber stamp when I submit a proposal, and I don&#8217;t believe any council member should get one either.&#8221;</p><p>Pedri said he is happy he publicly asked questions because it revealed the idea &#8220;isn&#8217;t fully fleshed out and needs quite a bit of work.&#8221;</p><p>&#8221;I may end up supporting this resolution &#8212; it does have some valid points &#8212; but I need more information on it. I take the same level of attention to detail on each and every major county decision,&#8221; Pedri wrote.</p><p>During the work session, Pedri and McClosky Houck expressed different interpretations on if such a reorganization was intended under the county&#8217;s customized home rule charter, which took effect in January 2012.</p><p>The manager also questioned the need to overhaul the structure because all payments and deposits already are screened by budget/finance.</p><p>McClosky Houck compared the change to the administration&#8217;s 2016 decision to move the security department under the sheriff&#8217;s department to enhance oversight expertise and procedures.</p><p>County Budget/Finance Division Head Brian Swetz said the security department shift required extensive planning and time, and the change proposed by McClosky Houck would be significantly more involved.</p><p>Swetz said additional support handling day-to-day budget/finance matters may be needed, especially in the first year, because he would have to devote extensive time becoming proficient in the varied and often highly technical fiscal regulations in each department, including human service branches and community development.</p><p>He estimated county departments employ approximately 35 fiscal workers outside his division, not including about 100 fiscal technicians and other support staff focused on tasks such as data entry.</p><p><strong>&#8216;Prevent big catastrophes&#8217;</strong></p><p>Councilwoman Sheila Saidman told McClosky Houck she understands the rationale for seeking the change.</p><p>&#8220;You&#8217;re trying to prevent the big catastrophes prior to them becoming big catastrophes,&#8221; Saidman said.</p><p>Council members Stephen A. Urban and Harry Haas expressed support, with Haas saying he believes the restructuring would make the government more efficient and accountable.</p><p>McGinley said numerous details must be worked out before a resolution could be considered. He asked his colleagues and the administration to forward comments and recommendations to be discussed at a future work session.</p><p>In her email to McGinley, McClosky Houck said the 11-member council&#8217;s role as the legislative branch is to set policy for the executive branch to implement.</p><p>&#8220;Let us be careful that the tail does not wag the dog,&#8221; she wrote.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Luzerne County Courthouse </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_luzcocourthouse01-7.jpg</photo0><caption0>Luzerne County Courthouse </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_lindahouck-1-.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">McClosky Houck </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_lindahouck-1-.jpeg</photo1><caption1>McClosky Houck </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></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>

Tensions flare over proposed change to Luzerne County fiscal staff