Amid boos, shouts of protest by Commissioner Bill Gaughan’s supporters and occasional confusion, Brenda Sacco became the new chair of the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners on Monday.
Five days after her swearing-in and with her long-term future as a commissioner in doubt, Sacco, a Democrat, joined Commissioner Chris Chermak, a Republican, and voted to remove Gaughan as chairman.
Then, they voted to name Sacco as chair and Chermak and as vice chair.
Each time, Gaughan, also a Democrat, voted no. After Chermak made a motion to appoint Sacco chair and she seconded it, the audience of mostly Gaughan supporters howled, then he chimed in.
“I'd like to congratulate the new Republican majority in Lackawanna County, commissioners Chermak and Sacco, on their takeover of county government,” Gaughan said as backers shouted “yoo-hoos” of encouragement and clapped.
More howls of protest followed the vote to confirm Sacco as chair.
Sacco fires back
Later in the meeting, Sacco accused Gaughan of using the legal system to bully her for months, reminded everyone she’s a Democrat and promised to work for the betterment of county residents.
“Today is not about personalities or politics,” she said. “It's about ensuring that the direction of the board reflects the needs, priorities and expectations of the public we serve. A fresh perspective and balanced leadership approach can help us move forward together, restore trust and deliver better results for our residents.”
Chermak seeks unity
Chermak, who last week ripped Gaughan for disrespecting taxpayers at meetings and shutting him out of decision-making, said the three commissioners would work together.
“It almost seems like people think that Billy's going somewhere. He's not going anywhere,” Chermak said. “We're here. There's three commissioners now. We're all going to work together.”
The months of legal battles
Appointed to replace ex-Commissioner Matt McGloin until a successor is elected, Sacco assumes the seat at least temporarily after months of legal battles.
Using the county home rule charter process, the county Democratic Party recommended court of common pleas judges consider Sacco and two others to replace McGloin, who resigned Feb. 24.
County judges scheduled interviews, but Gaughan, who favored Dunmore Mayor Max Conway, and the county challenged the home rule charter process in court, delaying an appointment. Gaughan and the county argued a state Supreme Court administrative rule required the judges to seek applications without following the charter.
After county and state Commonwealth Court judges upheld the charter process, the county Board of Elections, which included Gaughan, called for a special election to replace McGloin instead.
Less than a week later, the county judges chose Sacco to fill the seat until a successor is elected. The county Democratic Party unsuccessfully tried to quickly block the special election, but its underlying case remains pending.
Last Monday, the state Supreme Court ruled against Gaughan and cleared the way for Sacco’s swearing-in Wednesday.
How long will Sacco stay?
Since then, the chief question surrounding her taking office has centered on whether she will respect the special election outcome. She’s not a candidate in that election.
"Ms. Sacco, are you telling us before we even vote next week, that you will be an election denier?" Jan Kelly, of Moosic, asked.
Sacco again refused to specifically answer why she thinks she might be able to say on beyond the certification of the election winner. The winner would presumably serve out McGloin’s term, which ends Jan. 3, 2028.
“I have no comment,” she said when Gaughan asked her if she would respect the election outcome and allow the winner to take the office.
“No comment. There you go, folks,” Gaughan snapped.
“Shame,” several audience members shouted.
Later in the meeting, Lexie Kelly, leader of the Abington Democrats and no relation to Jan Kelly, pressed for an answer.
“There's a lot of legal questions that are behind that question that you're asking, and we'll be looking at all avenues of the law in response to some of the other questions,” Sacco said.
Afterward, Sacco again refused to answer if she would seek to respect the election results.
“We’ll see what happens,” she told reporters.
Repeatedly during the meeting, Gaughan supporters pointed out Sacco decided against seeking the seat in the special election.
'A caretaker board'
Attorney Tim Kelly, Lexie Kelly's husband and also part of the Abington Democrats, pointed out Gaughan received more than 30,000 votes two years ago, Chermak received more than 19,000.
“Commissioner Sacco didn't get any,” Kelly said.
Sacco was not a candidate in 2023.
Nonetheless, Kelly said, she and Chermak aimed to remove Gaughan as chairman and appoint new staff members.
“You're nothing more than a caretaker board. Do what you're supposed to do as a caretaker board,” he said. “Keep the wheels running, but without making major policies decisions from now through the end of the next two weeks.”
Later in the day, the county fired communications director Patrick McKenna, days after appointing Sacco’s personal lawyer, attorney Paul James Walker, as solicitor and shuffling the jobs of two other lawyers. Gaughan labeled that "a symptom of a disturbing pattern of political maneuvering and backroom politics that threatens the transparency and integrity of our county government."
Why Sacco didn't run
Unwilling to address if she will respect the election outcome, Sacco did address why she didn’t seek election.
As she did in court testimony during the court fight over the special election, Sacco said she didn’t feel she had time to mount a proper campaign so everyone “could understand what I stood for.” She said she might have run if she had taken office in March.
When the Supreme Court ruled in her favor last week, she had to take the seat, she said.
“I had to stand up for the rights of individuals that got bullied, which I was bullied by Commissioner Gaughan in the legal system,” she said. “He weaponized the legal system, and what kind of role model would I be for my daughter if I didn't. So that's why I'm here.”
Gaughan the chairman
For the early part of the meeting, Gaughan remained chairman as his supporters lit into Chermak and Sacco for trying to remove him.
Breeda Cronin Holmes, of Dunmore, accused Sacco and Chermak of exacting “vengeance” on Gaughan for their own benefit.
“I'm not going to ask them not to,” Holmes said. “Neither has done anything to indicate they're above the worst of what we've seen in this county, and this county is infamous for corruption and pay to play politics. This is a county that has a pipeline to prison from those very seats, and the voters and taxpayers are so done with it.”
Supporters praised Gaughan for making the difficult decision to raise county property taxes 33% to balance the budget.
"I have observed the Lackawanna County commissioners kick the can down the road for decades," Christine Perko, of Jefferson Township, said. "Commissioner Gaughan put the financial health and future of our county before his political career and approved the recent 33% county tax increase. Commissioner Gaughan is the forward thinking chairman we need at the county. "
Gaughan himself accused Chermak and Sacco of cronyism.
“The gears of county government are being shifted behind closed doors, not in the service of the public, but in the service of a factional, naked power grab,” he said. “It is a desperate attempt by the time worn, self-interested leadership of a small group of cronies, to snatch back the governing power that the electorate emphatically transferred in the last election in 2023 to a new generation of leaders just a few weeks ago.”
He questioned the urgency to replace him and others.
“What fresh scheme is in store to try to extend the length of the appointment for the entire two plus years remaining in the term, rather than until the next election, as mandated by the court?” he asked. “Why the rush to reorganize county government now, when the special election hasn't happened yet?”
A conflict of interest or no?
Gaughan also questioned hiring Walker, Sacco’s personal lawyer, as county solicitor, pointing out that was one of Chermak and Sacco’s first moves instead of scouring the county budget for savings or getting up to speed on government.
Walker, he said, argued against the special election and has a conflict of interest because he represented Sacco.
“Can we be sure that Mr. Walker, Attorney Walker ... will be able to represent all commissioners and the taxpayers of Lackawanna County? he asked. “Something stinks.”
Walker told a taxpayer who asked the same question he would represent county residents.
Later, he said there’s no conflict of interest because Sacco’s interest “has not ever been adverse to the county, and the county has never been adverse to her.
Reminded Gaughan and the county fired Sacco last year, Walker said that has nothing to do with the current appointment process.
Sacco explains the ouster
Sacco defended replacing Gaughan. She pointed to his aggressive push to block the use of extra police at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. Gaughan questioned the need for the police during an airport board meeting.
“Based on some of the comments and behavior from Commissioner Gaughan, that was one of my deciding factors where I believe we need to reorg so we can all work together,” she said. “You know, three commissioners working together to move forward instead of having a dictator.”
Trouble reaching the finish line
Early in the meeting, the new regime had trouble getting to the vote for chairman, which Gaughan portrayed as a sign of future dysfunction.
After Chermak made the motion to appoint her, Sacco said she would abstain from the vote.
Sacco said she abstained because of the “pay discrepancy” between the board chair and other commissioners. The chairman earns about $3,300 more. Walker later explained state ethics law prevents someone from enriching themselves, which Sacco voting for herself chair the first time would have done.
Walker, named temporary chair until Sacco was named chair, called for a second vote, which produced shouts of protest.
“She’s allowed to vote because she has disclosed the conflict,” Walker said.
The vote then proceeded.
