W-b Owes To Two Firefighters

Albert Stravinsky 
Feb. 5, 1994 
Albert J. Stravinsky, Of Walnut Street, Luzerne, Died Saturday At Riverstreet 
Manor, Wilkes-barre.

By ROBERT SITTEN; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Tuesday, February 08, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A QUICK WORDS: KINGSTON TAKING NEW
LOOK AT MAYOR'S POWER 





KINGSTON -- Members of the municipal council and several residents are
discussing the possibility of revising Kingston's 22-year-old home rule
charter to take some power away from the mayor. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Councilman David Capin made a request at Monday night's meeting for a group
of concerned citizens to take a look at the charter, which provides for what
is known as a "strong mayor" form of government. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Kingston's home rule charter was drafted under a state law giving
municipalities the power to structure their own governments. It gives the
mayor wide latitude in running town business on a day-to-day basis with little
responsibility to the council. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On Tuesday, Capin said, he received calls from at least 12 people telling
him evaluating the charter, possibly even changing it, was a good idea. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "A weak mayor/strong council government would save our town. It would put
so much of the politics behind us and it would provide more checks and
balances in a seven-member council," Capin said. "As it is now, there aren't
any checks and balances." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Council members have had disputes with Mayor Gary Reese since he took
office in January about financial and personnel decisions which they disagreed
with and weren't consulted on. Reese has maintained all along that it's within
his power to do what's best for the municipality without having to constantly
ask the council. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The issue came up during Monday's meeting amid discussion about relations
between Reese and the council, when former Kingston police chief Paul Roberts
asked the council point-blank, "Just what say do you guys have? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There were more checks and balances with a weak mayor/strong council than
there are now," Roberts said. "Twenty years ago there were guys on the council
without college or high school educations and they ran this town pretty well." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But switching to a weak mayor/strong council form of government would cause
more politics, not less, Reese said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It would lead to a lot less getting done," he said. "If we go to a council
government like Edwardsville or Larksville, then we won't be Kingston anymore.
We'll just be like Edwardsville or Larksville." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Having a seven-member council run the day-to-day affairs of government just
doesn't work as well as having one person who can take action when it's
needed, Reese said, adding, "If we had to leave everything up to seven people
on a council, who knows what would get done." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Studying the charter was suggested last year when Kingston's financial
troubles -- a debt of $3.6 million -- were revealed, said councilman Kevin
Boylan. Capin said it was discussed by Volunteers for Kingston last May. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I don't think researching a subject like that could hurt anybody," Boylan
said. "Question is, do you run out and change the government when there's a
problem or do you work to make the government work better? Nixon screwed up
the government pretty bad, but we didn't change the whole system because of
it." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Council President Marvin Rappaport said the council has considered putting
the question of whether the charter should be studied or revised on a
referendum for a vote. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A referendum would have to be placed on the ballot either by a municipal
ordinance or by petition of 10 percent of the registered voters, according to
Bob Evans of the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs. An ordinance
would have to be filed with the county board of elections 13 weeks prior to
the election; a petition would have to be completed and filed between 20 and
13 weeks prior to the election, he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Given that time frame, it's unlikely a referendum could make the ballot by
the May primary, Capin said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Capin said many on the council, including solicitor Ted Krohn, discussed
how to proceed with the idea. "We talked about whether we should tinker with
the language of the current plan first or ask the public question. I think we
need to ask the public question first," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It's still too early to say exactly what would be changed, Rappaport said.
"We may take a look at it and find it doesn't need to be changed," he said.

Kingston Taking New Look At Mayor's Power 
The Municipality's New Mayor Confronts A Council That Says The Town Doesn't 
Have Enough Checks And Balances

Kingston Taking New Look At Mayor's Power The Municipality's New Mayor Confronts A Council That Says The Town Doesn't Have Enough Checks And Balances