More On Juvenile Detention Center Issue Relevant to Subpoena of Luzerne County Commissioner Minutes

From James Convy Citizen's Voice 07/16/2005

County officials say juvie center lease saving money


One of Luzerne County's biggest budget problems is more cost-effective thanks to the lease of a Pittston Township juvenile center, said Sam Diaz, county chief of budget and finance.

Total expenses at the facility through the first six months of 2005 are $2.1 million, or 42 percent of the year's anticipated $5 million budget, Diaz said.

On the revenue side, the county estimated receiving $5.2 million from the facility in 2005. With $2.2 million billed through June and a more aggressive marketing campaign in place, the projections are on target, Diaz said.

In fact, with other cost-cutting measures implemented by Judge Mark Ciavarella, the county has spent $1.8 million less on juvenile placements than it did through June 2004, Diaz said. The juvenile placement line item finished last year about $3 million over budget.

"It's not all doom and gloom here," Diaz said. "(The juvenile placement budget) is on track. It's exactly where I expect. It's definitely not losing money."

Minority Commissioner Stephen Urban did not back down from his belief the county should build or buy a facility. He was not disappointed juvenile placement numbers were down, but claimed the figures are inflated by high charges levied by the county.
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We could have entered into a 20-year lease for $100 million if we hike up the rates enough to pay the bills," Urban said. "The lease of the facility for $58 million, when records in the county reflect the facility only cost $6.7 million to build, is excessive. We're passing that cost onto the federal government."

Note: He was referring to federal funding paying about 66 percent toward the cost of housing juveniles in the facility.

Skrepenak insists the per-day rates are not excessive. To defend his point, he referred to a facility in Berks County that charges $8 more per day for detention than Luzerne County's $290 per-day rate.

Note: Urban is exposing the scheme but no one is listening.