Woman Shot By Dart Gun

2 Injured Drivers Cited Following Collision

By MIKE RUBINKAM; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Sunday, January 05, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 12A 





WILKES-BARRE -- It began with the oath of office and ended with a hefty tax
increase. In between, Luzerne County's leaders voted 522 times on routine
contracts, appointments and treasurer's reports, and on new hotel taxes, huge
budgets and a levee-raising project. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For the Luzerne County commissioners, 1996 was a wild ride. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; First-termers Democrat Tom Makowski and Republican Joseph "Red" Jones spent
the year learning about the day-to-day operations of the county. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The freshmen and veteran Democrat Frank Crossin also launched a new tourism
agency, enacted a hotel/motel room tax to raise money for a planned arena,
announced plans for a courthouse parkade and offered voters a new way of
casting their ballots. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "This is probably the busiest I've been. I don't think there's been a time
in the past 20 years when county government has been so busy," said Crossin,
who took office in 1982. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They spent a big chunk of their time advancing several major projects that
were delayed or dormant. As a result, the dikes will be raised 3 to 5 feet.
Luzerne County Community College will boast new facilities. The county will
have a state-of-the-art 911 emergency dispatching system. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I was unbelievably enthused about the number of projects and the
significance of the projects," said Makowski. "I have heard people say this
Board of Commissioners has accomplished more this year than any other board
has ever accomplished as far as big projects that will move this county
forward." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Of course, big projects cost money. The county's on the hook for $24
million for the levee project, $20 million for the community college expansion
and $10 million for 911. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That debt is a big reason why the commissioners say they were forced to
raise property taxes nearly 25 percent last month. The property owner whose
property is assessed at $5,000 will pay $71.25 more per year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The budget also was strained by the loss of the personal property tax --
which the commissioners scrapped because of legal challenges elsewhere --
negotiated pay raises, and healthy increases in community college and Court of
Common Pleas funding. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It was far and away the most challenging year we've ever had," said Chief
Clerk/Administrator Gene Klein, who was responsible for constructing the
budget. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There were other downers besides the tax increase. The commissioners tried
three times to convene a meeting of the county's state legislators but could
not because of scheduling and personality conflicts. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The commissioners had wanted to muster support for tax reform in
Harrisburg. Makowski, in particular, advocates scrapping the property tax in
favor of an income tax or sales tax. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Crossin found himself a target for criticism when he vacationed with his
close friend Tom Gaughan, a county employee who pleaded guilty this year to
federal money laundering and gambling charges and who remains on the payroll
pending his sentencing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In November, voters rejected electronic voting machines that would have
cost the county about $2.5 million. The machines would have replaced the
mechanical models that have been in use for 66 years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But overall, the commissioners said they are pleased with the progress
they've made. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Makowski expects to outline his vision for the next three years at a speech
on Friday to the Pennsylvania Economy League. It will likely focus on tax
reform and government streamlining. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wild, Busy Year Tests Commissioners Veteran Officials Say They Cannot Recall Another Year When Luzerne County Faced So Many Big Votes