Manhattan Strip Clubs: County officials mull layoffs, furloughs to close budget shortfall
WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne County officials on Wednesday reviewed options to reduce a $16 million hole in next year’s budget, including employee layoffs and unpaid, temporary furloughs.
Without more spending cuts, county property taxes could jump 20 percent. Commissioner Stephen A. Urban said he opposes a tax increase and wants to eliminate some managerial jobs, such as deputy prison warden.
“Given the budget shortfall, I think that’s a job that can be eliminated,” Urban said.
Deputy Warden Sam Hyder, who is paid $74,263 a year, has been on medical leave since Aug. 6 and can remain on paid leave through late January because of unused sick and vacation time that accumulated. Urban has been an outspoken critic of Hyder, especially after the 2007 disclosure that Hyder used a county debit card to spend $71 at a Las Vegas strip club.