Bill Gaughan

During Commissioner Thom Welby's first public meeting, the Lackawanna County commissioners voted Wednesday to table a final vote on the 2026 budget until the county gets a clearer idea of electricity costs next year. The final vote is scheduled for Dec. 17 at 10 a.m.

Former state Rep. Thom Welby took the oath of office Tuesday as Lackawanna County commissioner. He replaces Brenda Sacco, who served only 34 days after her appointment to the seat ended a long legal battle over who should replace former Commissioner Matt McGloin. Welby won the seat in a Nov. 4 special election.

Former state Rep. Thom Welby won a special election for Lackawanna County commissioner on Nov. 4 and will take the oath of office Tuesday.

The Lackawanna County commissioners agreed to use the county's position as a major investor in Paul Sorvino's film, "The Trouble with Cali," by letting filmmaker John Mikulak use clips from it for his documentary on its making.

For the first time, Lackawanna County will contribute to the cost of having local police patrol the airport. Previously, Luzerne County split the cost with the airport after federal funding to pay the officers expired.

Lackawanna County commissioners Brenda Sacco and Chris Chermak authorized hiring Scranton School Director Jenna Strzelecki — who also is Pittston city's business administrator — as the county's new human resources director, even though Commissioner-elect Thom Welby will soon replace Sacco in office. Welby called Strzelecki 'fabulous.' Commissioner Bill Gaughan said the hiring was an example of 'backroom politics.'

Lackawanna County went to court Friday to delay by a year the implementation of new property values developed during reassessment the last three years, but county President Judge James Gibbons quickly denied the request in a one-sentence order without further comment.

Attorney Marielle Macher, whose clients forced Lackawanna County to reassess its more than 102,600 properties, says no to county request to delay implementing new values a year. The values are supposed to go into effect Jan. 1.

In a letter to a lawyer who sued the county to force reassessment, a Lackawanna County lawyer argues notices of new values sent to taxpayers didn't contain the current values for comparison as required by state law.

The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted Wednesday to obtain a line of credit of up to $5 million to cover social services program bills as the state budget stalemate continues.