SCRANTON — Mayor-elect Paige Cognetti’s transition team has begun studying the way city government works.
At a joint news conference with Mayor Wayne Evans on the steps of City Hall, Cognetti, 39, the first woman elected mayor in Scranton, promised to identify transition team members when she fills out her team. She and Evans also promised a smooth handoff of power.
She did announce a website — www.scrantonmayoraltransition.com — where citizens can track the transition’s progress and offer ideas. People interested in working for her administration must apply through the website, she said.
She declined to comment on whether she will ask any department heads to stay or add new staff. A consultant has recommended expanding the city’s business administration and economic development offices. Cognetti has said economic development will be a priority.
“I’m not ready to make any comments on any type of personnel,” Cognetti said. “That’s why I have the transition team to help me think through all of this.”
Transition team members, all volunteers, have begun talking to department heads to provide her with an understanding of each office’s policies, procedures and organization, Cognetti said.
It’s about finding “what are the things that are working, what are the things that maybe could be improved and taking an X-ray of each department piece by piece,” she said.
She also plans working groups separate from the transition. The groups will focus on community engagement; external funding; financial review; jobs, economy and business engagement; personnel; policy and ethics; public health, housing and environment; and technology, infrastructure and operations.
They will join Evans’ arts and leadership councils as advisory groups. Cognetti credited Evans with “paving the landing strip for the incoming mayor.”
The groups will help her form an agenda for the next two years. She called external funding the key working group because it will focus on finding outside money for projects the city may not be able to afford.
Cognetti is scheduled to fill the remaining two years of former mayor Bill Courtright’s term starting Jan. 6. Courtright resigned and pleaded guilty in July to federal corruption charges, and the city council appointed Evans to replace him temporarily. Voters elected Cognetti from among eight candidates Nov. 5.
Evans called the working groups a great idea.
“This administration is on board with the mayor-elect to have a smooth and historic transition and that’s what we’re looking for. Paige and I have talked several times and I wouldn’t say we’re old friends, but we’re good friends,” Evans said during a joint news conference on the steps of City Hall. “And I think we’ll be better friends over the next couple of months.”
Both characterized the transition as smooth so far, though Cognetti had nothing to do with the drafting the city’s 2020 budget, unveiled Friday. The budget includes no property tax hike, cuts the trash disposal fee to $250 and shifts the fee into the annual tax bill to improve collections.
Cognetti, who can amend the budget after she takes office, said she is open to the proposal, but hasn’t looked at finances closely. Evans said he left the budget flexible so Cognetti can alter it.
“I feel like I’m part of your team right now,” Evans told her. “I know this was a change election, but I also think it was a hope election ... I know you’re going to do a wonderful job for the city of Scranton.”
Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter