The next Luzerne County Controller

Governor Ed Rendell will appoint a successor to recently elected Commissioner Maryanne Petrilla and she will be hard act to follow as Luzerne County Controller. Rapid Edward will nominate someone to fill the vacant post, and the state Senate must confirm the nomination with a majority vote. The post must be filled within 90 days, and Petrilla’s replacement will serve through the end of 2009.

Petrilla was recruited to run against Steve Flood, the only public official in years to question how the county did business but we can't have that. So the powers that be got a small town administrator without any accounting background to take him out. Her short tenure as controller has ended with the Debit Card scandal which has made her look incompetent or worse. Now she's a County Commissioner and is trying to restore the public trust in county government. Good luck with that one.

So far 2 people have expressed an interest in the job that are part of the good ole boy network.

Wil Toole wanting to be a fiscal watchdog has to one of the funniest things I've ever heard. He charged thousands of hours of overtime to Pittston City and is now suing because he contends that the city should pay for his wife's health insurance indefinitely. The dispute stemmed from a volley of lawsuits exchanged between Toole and other city officials in the late 1990s.

The other is former Wyoming Valley West School District superintendent Augie Piazza who now serves on the Luzerne County Community College Board of Trustees. From what I hear Piazza was a good manager with only a touch of nepotism.

The problem is that neither of these guys are ACCOUNTANTS! The election in 2009 will pick the next elected Controller and any politician can run for the office but what Luzerne County needs right now is a person with a strong accounting/management background without political ambitions or connections and big set of brass balls. Someone who will look at all departments of the county not just the ones headed by Republican row officers and put some spending controls in place. That ideal person may not exist but if you're out there:

From the TL:

If you’re interested in becoming the next Luzerne County Controller, contact Gov. Ed Rendell’s office via www.governor.state.pa.us or call (717) 787-2500.