Home Rule commissioners say member pressured

Mr. Sheridan, however, vehemently denied that charge.

"Definitely not," he said. "There was no political pressure from anyone."

Mr. Sheridan originally voted 6-5 with the majority to recommend a new charter based on a council-manager structure. He then threw his support to a commission faction that wants to keep a strong-mayor form. His switch allowed the strong mayor group to call for a revote, which it won, again by a 6-5 vote.

"People don't flip-flop this easily without pressure," commissioner Sharon Quinn said, believing it came from candidates on both sides of the aisle who want to run for mayor. "They want to be a strong mayor. No one wants to lose what they perceive as power."

Commissioner Annette Palutis also believes Mr. Sheridan's change of heart was political. She brushed away his contention that the original vote on the form of government was taken too quickly.

"Nobody pushed or forced a vote," she said. "You can look at the record. Everything's on tape. He never said, 'I'm not sure.' Now all of a sudden he does a 180-degree turn."

Mrs. Palutis also pointed to the affiliations of the other commission members who supported the strong-mayor form. Included are Charles Spano, appointed by Mayor Jim Connors to the city Planning Commission and Cable Advisory Board; Wayne Evans, appointed by Mr. Connors to the Planning Commission; Joseph Cardamone, former community development director under Mr. Connors and current member of the Civil Service Commission; and Terry Osborne, appointed by Mr. Connors as deputy fire chief.

Also, Sean Hanlon is an employee of Lackawanna County. His family has longtime political ties to the Democratic Party. His uncle, James Hanlon, was a four-term mayor.

"If you look at this, the people who are politically motivated, they are the ones who don't want (the council-manager form)," Mrs. Palutis said. "The average citizens are the ones who do. Most people say we have to try something new."

Mr. Connors said he never lobbied Mr. Sheridan or any of the other commission members to keep a strong-mayor structure.

Nancy Kay Holmes, commission chairwoman, said she believes Mr. Sheridan was politically motivated because his reasons for switching did not make sense. For instance, his concern that the controller would be eliminated is misplaced because a controller could be kept under a council-manager form.

Mrs. Holmes also said she has no intention of resigning as chairwoman, although she is concerned the commission will now have to scramble to get its work done by May's legal deadline.

"If there's a move afoot that I be removed, I will fight it," she said. "It was not my first choice (but) I will support absolutely the best charter under a strong mayor."

Andrea Mulrine, chairwoman of Scranton Tomorrow's Efficient Government and Taxes Task Force, which pushed for a charter review, agreed Mr. Sheridan's reasons for a revote -- he was rushed, and he did not understand the full implications of the switch -- do not hold water.

"What other option is there but to think collusion was going on?" she said. "I don't know what the agenda is, but someone got to commissioner Sheridan."

Mr. Sheridan, however, insisted he did say at one point that the commission needed more input from the public before taking its original vote. He also did not deny earlier statements, such as this from an Oct. 11 meeting: "I really can't see any strong advantages to the strong-mayor form of government. The input I've got from the citizens and business people of the city of Scranton is that we should be going toward council-manager. The existing form of government has failed."

Mr. Sheridan said he changed his mind after doing further research, and citizens he talked to changed their minds when he told them they would no longer vote for their leader under a council-manager structure.

"Everyone is entitled to say they were wrong," he said.

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