Pocono News Section

Home Rule Ballot Question

Home Rule Ballot Question - Monday, May 18, 2009 at 6:16PM EST

LUZERNE COUNTY- Voters in Luzerne County will see more than just candidates on Tuesday’s primary ballot.
There's a question to form a special study commission. The commission would study if Luzerne County government should reorganize to home rule.

In Luzerne County and in nearly all of Pennslyvania, three commissioners run the county show. But under home rule, several commissioners would oversee a county and many other things could change.

Luzerne County home rule supporter Mike Szustak passed out flyers in Wilkes-Barre on Monday. He says recent county corruption makes now the best time to reorganize to home rule. Szustak says, "We can take that anger and focus into a productive sort of goal rather than just being angry and I think right now is the perfect time for that."

Home rule means the local community has more of a say in how its governed. It replaces state mandated laws and government organization standards. Voters chose a charter, a sort of local constitution to follow.

Some like James Price of Trucksville approve. "If it's going to make change in the county, let's go for the home rule. If it's going to stop the corruption in the courthouse, once again, let's go for the home rule," says Price.

On Tuesday's primary ballot, voters can chose to select a commission to study home rule. If approved, 11 study commission candidates will be chosen from a list of 20.

Jeff Neimiec is one of those candidates. If elected, he says there is a lot to look at. Neimiec says, "Is three commissioners in Luzerne County enough? Is it enough that two votes essentially make every decision? The big issue that we're dealing with now is checks and balances."

If the study commission decides home rule is best in Luzerne County, it will draft a charter. Then, the charter would be put up to a vote.

This home rule movement made it all the way to the last step in 2003. That’s when voters said no to the charter.