Priorities for 2024

May 2024

Luzerne County COUNCILman

Dear Residents of Luzerne County,

We have made strides in the first half of the year on council. Council has scaled back unnecessary tax abatements for speculators, moved forward with the Hotel Sterling site, said no to bloated administrative wage increases, and appointed people on county boards according to merit and not political appeal. ~Harry

Here are my priorities and action steps for this year on county council:

1) Return what’s left of the Federal Covid Relief Funds back to the people in the form of a homestead or some similar savings to taxpayers.

2) Help to restore the functionality of council.

-organize and keep a monthly committee schedule.

-make bimonthly council meetings efficient and productive because most discussion will take place in committees.

3) Lay out council's top strategic initiatives and communicate them to the manager who will execute the priorities of council. This list will:

-provide clear direction.

-minimize conflict between the two branches.

-give the public a measuring stick to judge council’s effectiveness.

4) Reject unnecessary tax increases like taxpayers got with the 3% hike in the 2023 budget.

Paid for by Harry Haas