WILKES-BARRE - Animosity between adversarial groups of Luzerne County Council members is heating up.
Since the county's new form of government began 14 months ago, the core of the governing majority on council has been Republican Eugene Kelleher and Democrats Jim Bobeck, Linda McClosky Houck and Elaine Maddon Curry. Democrat Tim McGinley, Republican Harry Haas and independent Rick Williams have been swing voters but regularly join the majority. Councilmen Rick Morelli and Stephen J. Urban, both Republicans, often vote with Democrats Stephen A. Urban and Edward Brominski against the majority on divisive issues. They opposed this year's budget, last year's budget and the 2 percent tax increase from last year.
"The problem we have as a council is we are too subjective. We are not objective," Mr. Brominski said Tuesday. "We better know ourselves and know our limitations and start to compromise and work as a body."
Mr. Morelli agitated some council members and meeting attendees Tuesday by proposing a 25 percent cut to the $665,000 allocation to fund the pay for eight incoming division chiefs.
"I knew this was going to get voted down, but I threw it out there to show the public again how inconsistent council is," Mr. Morelli said.
It was defeated 7-4.