Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has demanded aggressive changes at the Luzerne County Sheriff’s Office to finally fix chronic lapses in handling of public funds, including some issues which date back over a decade.
Who these days can say that a $3 million cut won’t impact operations? Cool-as-a-cucumber Luzerne County Transportation Authority Executive Director Stanley Strelish can, because as it turns out, the supposedly cash-strapped authority has a tidy nest egg of $7 million tucked away for a rainy day.
After determining that hordes of ghosts did not ride LCTA buses after all, nor did senior citizens passed off as supernatural creatures, the state recently concluded that the authority was overpaid $2,143,337 over six years.
A small group of determined Luzerne County residents faithfully attend nearly every county council meeting. These men and women act as watchdogs and critics, yet their counsel to council typically receives little media attention. The Independent Gazette believes that their insights and suggestions merit wider exposure. We present a few of these individuals this month, in their own words, spoken during the public comments period the night of the FY2014 county budget approval meeting on December 10, 2013.