Matt McGloin

Lackawanna County and Commissioner Bill Gaughan asked the state Supreme Court to allow county judges to replace resigned commissioners without political parties having a direct say.

The lawyer for Lackawanna County and Commissioner Bill Gaughan says Supreme Court should settle the way to replace ex-commissioner Matt McGloin.

The appeal could delay the replacement of resigned Commissioner Matt McGloin for several more weeks

Matt McGloin resigned as a commissioner almost two months ago. A three-judge panel listed to arguments Tuesday on how to replace him by lawyers for the county, commissioners Bill Gaughan and Chris Chermak and the county Democratic Party. The judges did not immediately decide.

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Six weeks after Commissioner Matt McGloin resigned, county judges still haven't picked a replacement. Unhappy his suggested replacement was ignored, Commissioner Bill Gaughan wants the judges to start a new selection process that would upend the traditional way of filling commissioner vacancies.

WVIA tried to get answers about the county's resassessment, especially whether taxes will rise.

Gaughan says the county Democratic Party’s selection process that recommended three candidate ignored state law and the judges should hold a new process. The judges will hold a hearing on that after hearing from the Democratic Party. The solicitor for Commissioner Chris Chermak, a Republican, says Gaughan's request to have the judges take over the process was filed illegally.

McGloin resigned last month and Gaughan wants to county court of common pleas to run the selection process from start to finish instead of allowing the court to choose from three county Democratic Party-recommended candidates.

The county common pleas court judges will choose from former county official Brenda Sacco, Olyphant Council President James Baldan and Scranton School Director Bob Casey.