The Ethics Commission of the District of Lucerne has published its annual statistics

The Lucerne County Ethics Commission received four complaints in 2022, but none were upheld, according to a new annual report.

The report states that three complaints were dismissed after an investigation by outside counsel, and the remaining complaint was found to be legally insufficient.

The council’s code of ethics requires the commission to appoint a team of attorneys who are not based in the county to conduct both preliminary investigations and full investigations if there is reason to believe that the code may have been violated.

Ultimately, the panel must either drop the case or proceed with a formal complaint requiring a written response from the accused and possibly a hearing and decision by the panel.

The commission includes County Comptroller Walter Griffith, County Attorney Sam Sangedolce, Acting County Superintendent Brian Swetz, and council-appointed citizens’ council members Diane Dryer and Thomas Mosca.

Manager search

As reported last week, a job posting for a county general manager was posted in the human resources careers section of luzernecounty.org.

The position is posted ranging from $116,322 to $180,000 per year, with the county council making the final decision on compensation. March 10 is the last day to apply.

On Wednesday at 6:00 pm at the County Courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, the three-member county management selection committee will meet to review the procedures it will use to select candidates and recommend the best candidates to the council for consideration.

The link to participate remotely in Wednesday’s meeting is posted in the Council’s Open Online Meetings section of luzernecounty.org.

public hearings

Three public hearings are scheduled ahead of the council’s vote at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday at the courthouse, as required for the proposed rulings.

The first, at 5:30 p.m., is about the Houstown rezoning request.

Then at 5:40 p.m., there will be a public hearing on the county’s Budget Amendment Order, which will receive $4 million in compensation as a result of litigation against opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors.

The agenda says the county has received more than $2.6 million in opioid payments since 2022 and has a $1.4 million grant for 2023. County Administrator for Drugs and Alcohol Ryan Hogan said his agency is actively involved in determining how the county will use standards-based opioid litigation funding.

Finally, at 5:50 p.m., the council will pass public opinion on a budget ruling for $1.67 million from the state’s Electoral Integrity Grants program, of which $638,000 is carried over from 2022 and $1.04 million is earmarked for 2023.

This grant is designed to ensure that mail-in ballots are counted in state districts by midnight on Election Night and other conditions. Specific plans for current available funding are still under development, officials said.

The link to participate in all three hearings, the council meeting and the work meeting is available at luzernecounty.org.

Working session

Swetz is set to release its annual “state of the county” report during Tuesday’s business session.

This annual public renewal is required by the county’s self-government charter.

The Board also plans to continue discussions on a plan to allocate $60 million in American Rescue Plan federal awards to outside organizations.

Contact Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or tweet @TLJenLearnAndes.