Commissioners appoint Larry Winn to county transit board after debate over advertising openings
Loading...
Summary
The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 7 approved the appointment of Larry Winn to the County Transit System Authority after a commissioner moved to table the nomination, arguing the vacancy should have been publicly advertised; the motion to table failed and the appointment was approved with at least one dissenting vote.
The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners approved the appointment of Larry Winn to the county transit authority during its Jan. 7 meeting, following an extended debate over whether vacancies on county boards should be publicly advertised.
The appointment was introduced as Resolution 260011. A commissioner (identified in the transcript as Speaker 2) moved to table the appointment, saying the county instituted a 2024 policy that openings on boards, authorities and commissions be publicly advertised and that resumes and letters of interest should be solicited. "When we bypass that process even once, we undermine the very reforms we said mattered," the commissioner said, arguing the public deserved an opportunity to apply. He said he would vote no when there was no second to his motion to table.
A colleague (Speaker 3) defended Winn, saying "Larry Winn was a valuable member of that board" and that Winn had applied to remain on the board previously and has a positive reputation and prior service, including a past term as board chair. The chair noted the nomination paperwork was in process and pledged that future openings would be publicly promoted on the county website and in the paper.
After discussion and the failure to table the motion, the board voted to approve the appointment. The transcript records voice votes of "Aye" and at least one recorded dissent from the commissioner who sought to table. The appointment term was presented as beginning immediately and expiring 12/31/2030.
Why it matters: The exchange brought up the county's process for filling public-board vacancies and underscored ongoing emphasis among some commissioners on advertising openings to increase transparency and competition. The objection also highlighted concerns about time and capacity for appointees who hold multiple public-sector roles, which the objecting commissioner raised as relevant to service quality.
Next steps: The board recorded the appointment as approved. The chair said future openings will be promoted publicly on the county website and in the newspaper to solicit applicants, and the administration will follow up on that commitment.
