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Hanover Twp. officer honored for rescuing Ashley man from fire

<p>If Luzerne County Council approves any 2020 tax hike Tuesday, councilman-elect Walter Griffith said he will push to reopen the budget when he takes office next month.</p><p>&#8220;Four new people just got elected and are responsible for the budget, but they haven&#8217;t had a chance to provide input,&#8221; Griffith said, referring to himself, LeeAnn McDermott, Kendra Radle and Stephen J. Urban.</p><p>However, it&#8217;s unclear if Griffith would secure the other five votes required to reopen the budget after taking office Jan. 6.</p><p>Radle said Monday her decision on reopening the budget would depend on what council approves Tuesday.</p><p>She said she would consider supporting reopening if council keeps the proposed 5% tax increase but may not if council imposes significant alterations reducing the hike.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;d have to see what they decide to cut,&#8221; Radle said.</p><p>McDermott also said she would be open to budget reopening if the tax hike remains at 5% but &#8220;most likely would not&#8221; if the proposed tax increase is reduced. Sitting council members have been &#8220;really going through the budget&#8221; line-by-line seeking cuts and new revenue, she said.</p><p>Stressing fiscal improvements will be among her top goals, McDermott said she believes she will have a &#8220;much better understanding&#8221; of viable options by the time 2021 budget discussions are underway next fall.</p><p>Council is expected to end up with some tax hike, but it won&#8217;t be as high as 5%.</p><p>At least $1 million in cuts and new revenue appear to have solid support, said council Chairman Tim McGinley, who also was reelected in November along with Councilman Robert Schnee.</p><p>Each percentage of the tax increase generates a little over $1 million, which means approximately $5.25 million in alterations would be needed to avoid a 5% real estate tax increase amounting to $30 more annually on a $100,000 property.</p><p>Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre to vote on more than 100 budget amendments before adopting the budget.</p><p>Even with amendments proposed to date, Griffith said Monday he still believes parts of the budget are &#8220;bloated&#8221; and that there are options to avoid any hike.</p><p>Accepting the inherited budget would be easier than taking ownership by reopening it, he said.</p><p>&#8220;I could just throw up my hands in the air and blame them. But the right thing to do is for everybody to take a good look at this budget and say, &#8216;This is what the county can afford,&#8217;&#8221; Griffith said.</p><p>Urban said he will provide Griffith with the second vote needed to bring the budget reopening up for a council vote.</p><p>&#8220;At least we will entertain a discussion,&#8221; Urban said.</p><p>Like Griffith, he expects further trims will be available.</p><p>&#8220;We just have to make them tighten their belts a little tighter,&#8221; said Urban, the son of outgoing Councilman Stephen A. Urban.</p><p>Four votes used to be necessary to reopen and possibly amend the budget in the years following council elections, but voters approved a county home rule charter amendment in 2016 requiring a majority of the 11 council votes.</p><p>Supporters of that change had said four members shouldn&#8217;t have the power to hold up the budget, but critics had argued new members should have latitude to conduct due diligence.</p><p>In addition to the six elected or reelected in November, the following council members remain seated in 2020: Harry Haas, Linda McClosky Houck, Chris Perry, Sheila Saidman and Matthew Vough.</p><p>Council reopened the budget twice in the years following a council election &#8212; when the first new council was seated in 2012 and in 2014.</p><p>A council majority had approved a 2% tax hike when it reopened the budget in 2012 as part of a package that also included approximately 60 layoffs. That amended budget replaced a version from prior commissioners that contained unattainable revenue, required 140 layoffs and would have prompted litigation from court branches over deep cuts, the administration said at the time.</p><p>In 2014, proposed amendments supported by new council members did not receive majority support, which meant an 8% tax hike remained in effect.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_TTL101719Luzerne-County-Courthouse1-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Luzerne County Courthouse </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_TTL101719Luzerne-County-Courthouse1-4.jpg</photo0><caption0>Luzerne County Courthouse </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_Griffith_Walter_mug-cmyk.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Griffith </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_Griffith_Walter_mug-cmyk.jpg</photo1><caption1>Griffith </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>

Griffith eyes reopening county budget if tax hike OK’d