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Stakeholders, state officials discuss impact of closing SCI-Retreat

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Luzerne County Election Board member resigns

<p>Luzerne County assistant solicitor Michael Butera said he will work with Plymouth officials to avoid a special election due to the cost.</p><p>The borough filed a petition seeking a special election on Dec. 9, 11 or 12 due to Alexis Eroh&#8217;s discovery that she was incorrectly appointed to a vacant council seat that should have been placed on the ballot instead.</p><p>A special election that does not coincide with a primary or general election will be &#8220;expensive for the county,&#8221; Butera said during Wednesday&#8217;s county election board meeting.</p><p>While the election office is calculating a firm tally for a special election, Butera said it will cost at least several thousand dollars due to the need to pay poll workers and program and transport election machines.</p><p>The borough&#8217;s requested special election dates in early December also would not work, Butera said.</p><p>A hearing on the borough&#8217;s request is not scheduled until Nov. 22, and the county would have to provide major political parties with at least 30 days to designate candidates for the council post, he said. An additional time period is required for public advertising and the filing of objections, he said.</p><p>Instead, Butera said he will meet with the borough solicitor to discuss other options, including the possibility of borough council delaying the special election until the April 2020 primary or issuing a new vacancy declaration in January allowing the seat to be filled by appointment until the next municipal primary in 2021.</p><p>If a solution can&#8217;t be reached, Butera said he would personally recommend the borough pay for the special election because the county was not responsible for the failure to place the post on the ballot.</p><p>Butera said he is seeking a plan &#8220;with the least amount of expense and wear and tear on the county.&#8221;</p><p>Eroh had been appointed to council in September 2018 to fill the unexpired term of Gary Kochinski, Jr. through January 2022.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Luzerne County seeking to avoid Plymouth special election