web1_123899555-3765514c68da4cf6aee30a2858f6506d.jpg

Iran student leader says he regrets 1979 US Embassy attack

web1_Susan-Magnotta.cmyk_.jpg

Institute Insights: We could all learn a lesson from Jim Gallagher

<p>If the administration&#8217;s proposed allocation is approved, Luzerne County would provide an additional $62,000 to the Luzerne County Community College in 2020, according to county Manager C. David Pedri.</p><p>Pedri said the college has not received a county contribution increase in more than a decade. He is recommending 1 percent, rejecting a request from college officials for 3 percent more, or an additional $186,000.</p><p>The county currently provides $6.2 million to the college annually as a sponsoring entity. College officials believe a county increase will prompt the state to provide a higher contribution to the Nanticoke-based institution, Pedri said.</p><p><strong>Meeting canceled</strong></p><p>Council&#8217;s Monday night budget work session was canceled because several council members said they would be unable to attend, said council Chairman Tim McGinley.</p><p>The two budget presentations that had been set for Monday &#8212; the district attorney&#8217;s office and the judicial services and records division &#8212; will be rescheduled, McGinley said.</p><p>McGinley said he is not concerned about fitting in presentations because an optional budget session had been scheduled for Dec. 9. Council is set to vote on the budget Dec. 10. The manager proposed a 5 percent tax hike to generate an additional $5.25 million, but several council members have said they are confident they will identify cuts and new revenue to alter the final budget.</p><p><strong>Cuts proposed</strong></p><p>Councilman Harry Haas recently released his first set of proposed budget amendments that woud cut spending by $95,150.</p><p>Both are in the law division, which covers the solicitor&#8217;s office and conflict counsel.</p><p>Most of his proposed reduction &#8212; $90,000 &#8212; would come from lowering the solicitor&#8217;s special legal services allocation from $590,000 to $500,000.</p><p>This budget line covers litigation settlements and outside legal counsel fees that fall within the county&#8217;s insurance deductibles.</p><p>County Chief Solicitor Romilda Crocamo met with council in a closed-door executive session before her budget presentation last month to discuss pending and possible litigation impacting her request for $590,000, which is a $10,000 reduction from 2019.</p><p>Haas also proposes amendments to reduce the solicitor advertising allocation from $350 to $200 and the conflict counsel examinations/witnesses earmark from $65,000 to $60,000.</p><p><strong>Online mapping</strong></p><p>The county&#8217;s free online mapping portal has become so popular, the county is selling fewer maps, county GIS/Mapping Director Daniel Reese told council during his budget presentation last week.</p><p>The department&#8217;s proposed 2020 budget expects $10,000 in revenue from map sales, or $5,000 less.</p><p>Available through the department&#8217;s page at <a href="https://gis.luzernecounty.org/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=66ddb7b1902e4178a27ee71fd9f6a342" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.luzernecounty.org</a>, the portal shows boundary lines for the 168,000 parcels in the county along with the owners and parcel identification numbers, or PINs. Users can search by address, property owner or the PIN, if known.</p><p>Reese said computer users have accessed the portal several hundred thousand times since it was activated in March 2018.</p><p>An enhanced, fee-based version containing additional data about each parcel is in the works, which should more than compensate the county for the lost revenue, Reese said. He added $10,000 in revenue to his proposed 2020 budget for anticipated subscriptions to the enhanced portal.</p><p><strong>Union negotiations</strong></p><p>The county administration participated in a binding arbitration proceeding last Wednesday with unionized assistant district attorneys/public defenders represented by Teamsters Local 401, but another session must be scheduled to address additional issues, said county Administrative Services Division Head David Parsnik.</p><p>Arbitration became necessary because both sides reached an impasse negotiating a new contract to replace one that expired the end of 2018. The sessions are not open to the public.</p><p>Negotiations are still ongoing on the other contract that expired the end of last year with prison correctional officers and other staff in LIUNA Local 1310, Parsnik said.</p><p>Opening negotiations also recently were held with Teamster-represented supervisors in three human service branches &#8212; Children and Youth, Agency on Aging and Mental Health/Developmental Services, he said. Their memorandum of understanding agreements expire the end of this year.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_courthouse.jpeg-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Luzerne County Courthouse </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_courthouse.jpeg-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Luzerne County Courthouse </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></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>

Luzerne County may provide more funding to community college