Luzerne County’s study commission to vote on term limit recommendation

Luzerne County’s Government Study Commission is set to vote Thursday on its term limit recommendation for county elected offices and how long those reaching the limit must wait before they could run for the same seat again.

The recommendation would impact county council and the district attorney and controller.

The county’s study commission is assessing potential charter changes and aims to place its proposal on the November ballot, when voters will decide whether to switch to the new structure or keep the system in effect since January 2012.

Under the charter, all three offices have consecutive three-term limits, and partial appointed and elected terms are treated the same as full elected, four-year terms in defining the limit.

While the commission had discussed a suggestion to eliminate term limits last year, most members expressed support for keeping a cap.

However, commission members have voiced general support for eliminating the tallying of partial terms toward term limits, citing the unfairness of the provision’s impact on county District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce.

More than four years were cut from the maximum Sanguedolce can serve because he was initially appointed and then elected to partial terms when predecessor Stefanie Salavantis resigned to run for county judge.

Regarding the allowable period to return to office, the charter says council members cannot be seated again for two years if they reach the consecutive three-term maximum. The charter does not specify an option for a DA or controller to return after hitting the maximum.

Proposed changes

A series of revisions now before the study commission would:

• Keep the consecutive three-term limit for all three offices but not count elected or appointed terms of two years or less toward the limit.

• Increase the waiting period from two years to four years for council members to return after reaching the limit.

• Allow a DA or controller to run for the seat again if they reach the term limit and are out of office four years — a gap the commission is calling a “cooling off” period.

• Restart the term limit tallying clock for incumbents in all three offices when the new charter takes effect, if it is approved. Terms in which the elected officials were elected or appointed prior to the new charter’s effective date would not apply toward the limit.

Study commission members discussed this plan at their March 6 meeting.

The only issue of concern raised by members dealt with the cooling-off period for council.

Commission member Tim McGinley said he believes the wait for council members to return after maxing out should remain at two years.

McGinley said he believes two years is long enough, and he does not want to box out someone “who could do a good job.”

He noted the four-year wait for the DA and controller is necessary because elections for those seats are every four years. Council terms are also four years, but candidates have an opportunity to run for council every two years because the elections are staggered so they are not all filled simultaneously.

Commission members Stephen J. Urban and Cindy Malkemes said they agree with McGinley that two years would be better, and Urban said the matter could be further discussed at the next meeting.

Commission Vice Chairman Vito Malacari said he thought the past consensus was four years. He sought a prompt resolution, saying the commission cannot continue delaying decisions if it wants to put its proposal before voters in November.

Commission Chairman Ted Ritsick asked for an informal poll on the preference of two or four years.

Urban, Malkemes and McGinley supported two years, and the other members picked four —Malacari, Ritsick, Mark Shaffer and Matt Mitchell.

Shaffer said four years was a compromise on his part because his “dream scenario” would be three terms with no option to return.

Like Shaffer, Malacari said he had wanted a “hard out” forbidding return after three terms. Still, four years will encourage “fresh blood” and “fresh voices,” he said.

Ritsick said he prefers four years because he’d like to see “a little more turnover” on council while still retaining the possibility of those with institutional knowledge to run again.

The proposal up for a formal vote Thursday will include four years based on the feedback, but Ritsick emphasized commission members are always free to make amendments before final votes.

To date, Harry Haas is the only county council member to return to his prior office after reaching the maximum consecutive term limit since the charter took effect.

Haas served three council terms, from 2012 through 2021. The initial term was two years because the charter created a mix of full and partial terms the first year so either five or six of the 11 council members would be selected every two years. After sitting out one election, Haas was elected again in 2023.

Thursday’s commission meeting is at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

A link to attend the meeting remotely will be posted under council’s online meeting section (scroll down) at luzernecounty.org.