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County Planning For A Shutdown

County Planning For A Shutdown - Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at 6:34PM EST

Reported by: Jill Konopka
Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007 @06:34pm EST
(WILKES-BARRE, Luzerne County) -

There are lots of unanswered questions at the Luzerne County Courthouse like which jobs will stay and who will go.

Luzerne County's Public Information Officer Kathy Bozinski said, "This is a tough place to be now. We have 1700 county employees who don't know what January first will bring."

Political Activist Tim Grier refuses to withdraw a bond challenge against the county to borrow millions of dollars. The law lets tax payers question government spending.

Commissioner Stephen Urban told WBRE News, "It's his decision, not mine or anybody else's. What's disheartening is this whole deficit was hidden from the public, was hidden from me."

Attorney Peter Moses says Grier's complaint with the state will be challenged by Friday.

Peter Moses added, "These were never scare tactics or threats. We have a real economic crisis in Luzerne County because of the filing of that complaint. And as we fight it in court, or budget guys fight the numbers.”

For now no one can say for sure whether Luzerne County government will shut down in January.

Bill Brace is the county’s Deputy Clerk, "We're working, let's do the work first. Well it concerns me because I want to make a living, saving everything you got."

But county leaders are gearing up for the possibility based on the time it could take to process Grier's challenge in Harrisburg.

Bozinski added, "Generally we're told that could take four months to complete that would be a financial hardship on Luzerne County if we had no income coming in for that period of time."

Right now, County Officials are meeting behind closed doors trying to outline a contingency plan. They also say they're trying to secure state and federal funding while they wait for property taxes too.

Bozinski told WBRE News, "We're going to probably announce late Thursday our action plan, which will tell folks basically where they stand. What employees may be furloughed, what employees will be considered essential services."

Commissioner Greg Skrepenak says he is confident County financing will still be in tact through the end of 2007 and that payroll and services will be maintained.

It's the start of the New Year that has county workers very worried.

Luzerne county leaders blame a possible government shutdown on Tim Grier of Wilkes-Barre.

Luzerne County’s Public Information Officer Kathy Bozinski stated, "But honestly, the bottom line is on paper due to the complaint, January first we have no money coming into the county."

Grier says he's the scapegoat and refuses to back down on a bond complaint with the state on the county's borrow heavy budget.

Leaders say Grier's challenge could force the county to lay off non-essential workers in January.

Bill Brace is the County’s Deputy Clerk, "I think if there's no money, all jobs will be cut."

Bozinski added, "We have 300,000 people in Luzerne County who depend on employees to provide vital services our 9-1-1 center, our Transportation Center, you name it."

On Wednesday Commissioner Greg Skrepenak sent all 17-hundred county workers a letter letting them know officials are trying to avoid a stoppage.

Commissioner Urban calls that letter pre-mature. Commissioner Urban spoke with WBRE News, "You should look at all money available in county and number two, look at money available in certificates of deposit and in agency accounts to determine which departments will be affected.”

Urban says that not every agency would be affected by a County Government shutdown. Urban added, "We have agencies like this throughout the county that is funded by the state and federal government. 9-1-1 is 70 percent funded through user fees on phone so I think again it was pre-mature."

Commissioner Skrepenak did not return our calls. County leaders say they will release their county action plan by late Thursday afternoon.
 


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