Susquehanna proposes consolidating election districts

BY STACI WILSON

Susquehanna Council’s move to abolish the borough’s two-ward voting districts and create a single ward in the town will be taken up in the coming year.

Council held off on advertising the proposed meeting until after the Jan. 4 reorganization and the establishment of the 2016 meeting dates.

The ordinance proposes restructuring the borough into one election district, finding that having two separate wards is unnecessary.

Borough council members are already elected with an “at-large” vote, meaning all candidates appear on both ballots. Council members are not specifically elected by the ward where they reside.

But there are still some loose ends that need to be tied up before council can move forward with the consolidation of election districts.

There remains a need to consolidate the two election boards in the borough; and council needs to decide where elections would be held.

People currently serving as election officials, according to data listed on the Susquehanna County website, include:
*Ward 1: Judge of Elections – Judy Crowley;
Majority Inspector – L. Judy Canfield; Minority Inspector – Barbara Larson
*Ward 2: Judge of Elections – Colleen Woodruff; Majority Inspector – Tonya Scales; Minority Inspector – Richard Woodruff.

Currently, voters residing in Ward 1 cast ballots at the borough building, while Ward 2 electors report to St. John’s to vote.

Taxes in the borough will hold steady in 2016. Council approved a $422,645 budget for the coming year and established a tax rate of 24.2 mills – the same as the 2015 rate.

A resident expressed concern over property owned by her husband that has received a federal grant to allow for the demolition of the structure. She said the cemetery was interested in acquiring the property, which she was willing to donate to them, but a lien that would be placed on the property would make that prohibitive for that transaction.

Council members agreed that the cemetery would be best able to use the land, but did not know or have any available options for the property owner to provide for that transfer.

Mayor Nancy Hurley presented the monthly police report. She noted there were 54 incident in the month of November.

Hurley also asked residents to be aware of the “homeless situation.” She said borough police had encountered a few instances of homeless people in the borough. She asked for residents to be aware of the possibility of people who may be finding shelter in sheds or unoccupied buildings.

If someone notices evidence that someone may be living in a shed or unoccupied structure, Hurley advised them to call the police in order to get the person connected with available resources.