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Luzerne County 2021 budget work sessions continue today

Luzerne County government owes a total $244.2 million in debt, interest included, from 2021 through 2030, county financial adviser Scott Shearer told council last week.
				The county&rsquo;s debt payment will rise from $24.3 million this year to $26.1 million in 2021, according to a chart released by Shearer, of Harrisburg-based Public Financial Management, or PFM.
				Annual payments will range from $26.1 million to $26.8 million through 2029 and wrap up with a final $6.2 million owed in 2030, the chart said.
				Board appointments
				Council appointed citizens to unpaid seats on several outside county boards during last week&rsquo;s council meeting:
				&#8226; Transportation Authority, John Young
				&#8226; Housing Authority, Alan Yendrzeiwski (reappointment)
				&#8226; Redevelopment Authority, Scott Linde (reappointment)
				&#8226; Children and youth Advisory Board, Denise Acosta and Nicole Buckman
				&#8226; Farmland Preservation Board, Bryan McManus (reappointment)
				&#8226; Forty Fort Airport Advisory Board, Richard Blum and Mark Gentry
				&#8226; Drug and Alcohol Commission, Ian Urbanski
				&#8226; Workforce Investment Board, Carmen Kahiu
				Cyber attack
				County expenses to recover from a May 2019 cyber attack ended up totaling $27,170 in 2020 and $1.3 million in 2019, according to multi-year data included in next year&rsquo;s proposed budget.
				The county&rsquo;s cyber insurance carrier has agreed to cover the expenses, said county Chief Solicitor Romilda Crocamo.
				Most of the cost has been for experts required to unlock data and restore databases damaged by the attack, officials said. No sensitive or confidential information was obtained or breached by hackers, Crocamo has said.
				Election committee
				County Council&rsquo;s new Election Inquiry Committee is scheduled to hold its second meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday.
				Directions on attending the virtual meeting are posted on council&rsquo;s public meetings online link at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/1279/Public-Meetings-Online" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">luzernecounty.org</a>.
				Council formed the four-member committee to review election office procedures and protocols, largely in response to the premature unsealing and discarding of nine overseas military Nov. 3 mail ballots by a temporary worker. That matter is still under federal investigation, although county Manager C. David Pedri said required information was retrieved to count all nine votes.
				Thursday&rsquo;s inquiry meeting will be focused on election operating policies, procedures and practices.
				Serving as committee chair, Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck said she chose a topic that did not require attendance by the county Election Board or election bureau staff because they will both still be busy tallying results from Tuesday&rsquo;s general election.
				The inquiry committee will meet publicly several times over coming weeks, with the goal of preparing a summary of findings in January.

Luzerne County Council receives update on outstanding debt