Dec. 06--WILKES-BARRE -- After answering questions from public-hearing attendees about their motives, the Luzerne County commissioners unanimously voted Monday to create an independent authority to oversee the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.

The commissioners of Luzerne and Lackawanna counties have been responsible for overseeing the airport. An authority with three Luzerne County members and three Lackawanna County members could be in place in January if the Lackawanna commissioners also vote for the authority.

The Luzerne County commissioners said they plan to appoint three members to the new authority at their Dec. 14 meeting. County Controller Walter L. Griffith Jr. grilled the three commissioners about their appointments to the authority, and each told Griffith they did not plan to serve on the authority.

County assistant solicitor Neil O'Donnell said he is still concerned about "complications" on the timing of implementing a new bi-county authority. In July, O'Donnell said the officials should delay plans for an airport authority because Luzerne County's new home-rule charter will take full effect on Jan. 2.

The charter eliminates the board of commissioners as the county's governing body, and voters on Nov. 8 elected the initial 11 members of the new county council. They take office Jan. 2.

O'Donnell said the authority could constitute a material amendment of the charter and activate referendum obligations. Councilman-elect Edward Brominski on Monday asked the commissioners to hold off from voting for the authority and from appointing members to the authority.

Commissioner Thomas P. Cooney explained why the commissioners in both counties want to create the authority, noting that only one of the six current commissioners will remain a commissioner next year.

"We have the four votes," Cooney said. "We have a majority in both counties."

Luzerne County Commissioner Stephen A. Urban, who was elected to the new council, said county taxpayers will no longer be required to support with airport with an authority in place. The authority would be able to borrow money on its own, and the counties would no longer be involved with funding future pension obligations for airport employees, Urban said.

Kingston Township resident Tom Dombroski also questioned the commissioners and asked them to let the new council make decisions about the authority.

Jackson Township resident Ed Chesnovitch said the commissioners were not providing enough time for people to apply for an appointment on the authority.

"Why don't you wait?" Chesnovitch asked.

Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla said the commissioners have received "letters of interest" from people interested in serving on authorities and boards. The members of the airport authority will be unpaid volunteers, the commissioners said.

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Copyright 2011 - The Citizens' Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.