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6 days ago | 
hazletontimes.com | Jennifer Learn-Andes |Jennifer Learn Andes
Luzerne County Council further discussed the proposed expansion of a property tax exemption program for military veterans during last week’s work session. The exemption is available only to honorably discharged veterans disabled during a period of war, but the county is considering following the example of several other neighboring counties by expanding the program to non-wartime veterans.
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1 week ago | 
hazletontimes.com | Jennifer Learn-Andes |Jennifer Learn Andes
Luzerne County Council is debating the pros and cons of setting county real estate tax break guidelines by category to provide realistic expectations for prospective developers. Councilman Jimmy Sabatino, who chairs council’s infrastructure committee, had proposed the idea to his council colleagues during discussion about a tax break in March, saying council should decide in advance what fees and discounts it deems acceptable for warehousing and logistic, manufacturing and tech-based development.
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1 week ago | 
hazletontimes.com | Jennifer Learn-Andes |Jennifer Learn Andes
Luzerne County Court Administrator Paul Hindmarsh made a fervent plea for county council to approve a 15-year property lease needed to house family court under one roof. “Please do not make this decision lightly because this decision will have a lasting impact on the families of Luzerne County,” Hindmarsh told council during its Tuesday work session. Several council members asked questions and expressed concerns but left it unclear if the request would be approved at their next meeting on June 10.
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1 week ago | 
hazletontimes.com | Jennifer Learn-Andes |Jennifer Learn Andes
A Luzerne County Government Study Commission majority approved a recommendation Wednesday that would give county council authority to determine if the five-person county election board should remain composed of five citizen volunteers. The commission is drafting a revised charter that will come before voters for possible adoption in November.
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1 week ago | 
hazletontimes.com | Jennifer Learn-Andes |Jennifer Learn Andes
A Luzerne County Council majority voted Tuesday to purchase the historic train station property in downtown Wilkes-Barre for $615,000 and initiate litigation against the county Redevelopment Authority over an outstanding debt related to its rail line. The county wants to acquire the 154-year-old former train station on Wilkes-Barre Boulevard because it is listed for sale and has housed the county tourism office, Visit Luzerne County, since February 2022.
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1 week ago | 
hazletontimes.com | Jennifer Learn-Andes |Jennifer Learn Andes
Luzerne County is seeking applicants for county authorities, boards and commissions to fill vacancies, said council Vice Chairman Brian Thornton. Thornton is pushing to recruit citizens because he chairs the council committee that publicly interviews and screens prospective board applicants for the full council’s consideration.
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2 weeks ago | 
hazletontimes.com | Jennifer Learn-Andes |Jennifer Learn Andes
Luzerne County Council is set to vote Tuesday on whether to sue the county Redevelopment Authority, according to several sources. Letters obtained by The Times Leader shed light on the reason: The county wants the authority to turn over its railroad so it can be sold to recoup $3.28 million the authority still owes the county for the original acquisition of the line.
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2 weeks ago | 
hazletontimes.com | Jennifer Learn-Andes |Jennifer Learn Andes
In addition to voting on purchasing the historic train station in downtown Wilkes-Barre Tuesday, Luzerne County Council is set to discuss court leasing of a Kingston property to house Domestic Relations and revocation of $3 million allocated toward a new hotel at the former Hotel Sterling property due to that project’s relocation.
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2 weeks ago | 
hazletontimes.com | Jennifer Learn-Andes |Jennifer Learn Andes
The Luzerne County Election Board’s public post-primary adjudication will begin Friday and have a different structure. Adjudication determines which flagged mail and provisional ballots are accepted or rejected and tallies write-in votes. Attempting to make the marathon adjudication sessions more efficient, the five-citizen board voted in March to activate an election staff canvassing board to handle the review and processing portion, adhering to past board practices.
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2 weeks ago | 
hazletontimes.com | Jennifer Learn-Andes |Jennifer Learn Andes
Approximately 24.5% of registered Luzerne County Republicans and Democrats cast ballots in Tuesday’s primary election, according to a statistical report posted with the county’s online election results. The posted spreadsheet indicates there were a total 42,858 ballots cast by both party voters — 21,901 Democrat and 20,957 Republican. State voter registration statistics log a total 174,627 registered county voters eligible to nominate candidates Tuesday — 84,200 Democrats and 90,427 Republicans.
