Luzerne County Courthouse
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Luzerne County had 128 likely drug overdose deaths by the end of July this year — 97 confirmed and 31 pending toxicology test results, according to the latest county division head report.
In comparison, there had been 62 confirmed deaths during the same January-through-July period last year, the report said.
County Coroner Francis Hacken had issued a warning in May that rising drug overdose deaths were largely linked to the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. His review of toxicology test results found fentanyl in 75% of overdose deaths in 2020 and through May this year.
Tuesday meeting
County council will hold a voting meeting and work session starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The public will have the opportunity to attend in person at the county courthouse in Wilkes-Barre or remotely through a link under council’s “public meetings online” section at luzernecounty.org.
Voting agenda items include introduction of a budget amendment ordinance accepting $109,000 in funding from the Pennsylvania Auto Theft Prevention Authority to cover a new auto theft officer position in the district attorney’s office.
The officer’s salary will be $47,458 to $50,000. The allocation also funds benefits, training and other expenses.
DA Sam Sanguedolce said the initiative won’t cost county taxpayers and will allow detailed investigations of cargo theft, organized automobile theft and vehicle-related insurance fraud.
Work session
Topics up for discussion include a payment-in-lieu of taxes, or PILOT, to the county by Indelible Housing Inc. for the Sherman Hills Multifamily Housing Complex in Wilkes-Barre.
Based in Washington, D.C., Indelible is in the process of buying the 344-unit, low-income housing complex and won’t owe real estate taxes to the county, city or Wilkes-Barre Area School District when the purchase is completed, which is expected later this year, a prior report said.
According to council’s agenda, Indelible has sufficiently demonstrated that it qualifies as a pure public charity under state law and agreed to make voluntary annual real estate tax payments to all three taxing bodies.
Under this proposed PILOT agreement, Indelible shall continue to pay the county $86,386.74 annually, which is the amount due to the county for real estate taxes in 2020, it said.
Election Board
The five-citizen volunteer county Election Board will meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the courthouse, with both in-person and remote attendance options.
A link to attend virtually is posted under council’s authorities/boards/commissions online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.
The board plans to discuss whether it will provide mail ballot drop boxes in the November general.
It has asked the election bureau to research options and formulate a written plan on how the ballots would be secured and collected, the number of proposed boxes, the cost and where they would be placed.
The board wants information on larger boxes resembling postal mail boxes that are too heavy and bulky for a person to steal, similar to a ones used in neighboring Lackawanna County.
In the May primary, the county had provided three counter-top mail ballot drop boxes at the Pittston Memorial Library and Hazleton and Nanticoke city halls in addition to one previously available at the county’s Penn Place building in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
If approved for November, boxes would only be placed inside buildings with security cameras, board members said.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.