A contentious feud is brewing between Pittston and Hughestown over the proposed sale of Pittston’s wastewater sewer system, and Pittston’s mayor is objecting to the election of a deceased man as Hughestown’s tax collector in November.
Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo said Hughestown should have notified the Luzerne County election bureau that tax collector John E. Poli died in August to allow another candidate to run. Lombardo noted Gene Molino is the solicitor for Hughestown and the election bureau, and he complained the election bureau didn’t allow candidates on last year’s ballot in special elections that resulted from the deaths of two Pittston officials.
“My issue is fairness. The City of Pittston attempted to do the right thing and was penalized and forced to expend both time and money during the general election cycle,” Lombardo said a in statement to The Citizens’ Voice. “It is extremely disappointing that the election bureau solicitor took a position with the city and in his capacity as solicitor for Hughestown Borough allowed a complete disregard for election law.”
Molino dismissed Lombardo’s opinion on election law as “legally deficient” and said Lombardo’s “one-and-a half-page screed is not about last year’s election.” Molino claimed “his childish behavior” is about Hughestown intervening in Pittston’s application with the state Public Utility Commission.
Pennsylvania American Water last year agreed to acquire Pittston’s wastewater sewer collection system for $26.4 million. Officials hoped to complete the deal by late 2026 after the utility obtains the necessary approvals from regulators.
“The mayor’s behavior of late has been unhinged over what he perceives to be Hughestown Borough impeding the sale of the Pittston city sewer system to PAW,” Molino said in a statement he released.
Gene Molino
Pittston filed an application on Jan. 16 for a Certificate of Public Convenience with the PUC seeking approval to continue to offer, furnish, render and supply wastewater collection and conveyance service to certain portions in Duryea, Hughestown and Pittston Twp. that connect with the Pittston’s system. Pittston owns and operates a combined stormwater and sanitary wastewater collection and conveyance system that provides stormwater and sanitary wastewater service to approximately 4,142 customers in Pittston and 650 customers outside the city.
In February, Hughestown and the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority filed petitions to intervene in the PUC case. WVSA is a joint municipal authority that provides regionalized wastewater treatment to more than 172,000 residents in 36 municipalities.
Hughestown “intervened in Pittston’s application to become regulated” to understand the “implications of such a move,” Molino said, claiming Pittston “is serving more than 500 Hughestown customers without the legal right to do so.” The sale to Pennsylvania American Water can’t proceed until there’s a resolution with Hughestown, Molino added.
During an interview Thursday, Lombardo admitted he “was pissed” with Hughestown.
“And if you want to call that childish, so be it. I’m OK with that,” Lombardo said. “But what strikes me as most comical is that we have provided them with illegal sewer service. How does that even make sense? You, 75 years ago, hooked up to our lines. OK, if it’s illegal, then here’s what to do: go and do your own project and spend $10 million in a municipality of 800 people. And put your own line in, and this problem is solved. So yeah, I am annoyed about that. And I’m annoyed that there’s people that don’t pay their bills, and we upgrade the system.”
Hughestown wants a bulk wastewater service agreement with Pittston that would establish “clear service terms, responsibilities, and protections.”
WVSA filed a lawsuit against Pittston on Feb. 16 in the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas and claims Pittston “is prohibited from selling the system” to Pennsylvania American Water due to its service agreement with WVSA. If the sale of Pittston’s sewer system is completed, customers would continue to receive bills directly from WVSA for wastewater treatment at its plant in Hanover Twp.
“Pittston City is content to ram through the sale of its system assets to PAWC for its own financial benefit while neglecting the affected interests of WVSA, its member municipalities and their many ratepayers,” the authority alleged in its suit.
Pittston has one seat on the WVSA board and is one of 14 founding member municipalities. The other member municipalities are: Edwardsville, Exeter, Forty Fort, Kingston, Plymouth, Swoyersville, West Pittston, Wyoming Hanover Twp., Jenkins Twp., Plains Twp., Nanticoke and Wilkes-Barre.
Tax collector
Poli died Aug. 18, and Hughestown appointed John Eric Poli Jr., son of the decedent, on Sept. 4 as tax collector to fill the vacancy, according to Lombardo’s statement.
Because the death was more than 60 days before the Nov. 4 election, Hughestown was required to inform the election bureau of the vacancy, and the county Democratic Party could have named another nominee, Lombardo contends.
No Republican ran in the primary election, and Poli Sr., the only candidate on the Nov. 4 ballot, won the election posthumously. Hughestown then voted Jan. 4 to appoint Poli Jr. again as tax collector.
“This complaint has nothing to do with John E. Poli — in fact I would add that he is a fine young man who I believe will serve the position well,” Lombardo said.
Molino said “everything that Hughestown Borough did after the death of John Poli was legally correct.” Hughestown did not have to notify the election bureau about Poli’s death prior to the Nov. 4 election, and the Democratic Party was responsible for contacting the election bureau about nominating another candidate, Molino said.
Because Poli Sr. won the 2025 election posthumously, Hughestown will have to contact the election bureau about holding a special election in 2027 to elect a tax collector to a two-year term, Molino said.
Molino added Poli’s death is different than the death of the two Pittston elected officials last year because their terms expired after the 2027 election and special elections for two-year terms were held last year.
Chris Latona was elected to a four-year term as Pittston treasurer in 2023 and passed away in March 2025. RoseMary Frati was appointed to serve as treasurer and won a two-year term as treasurer in a special election on Nov. 4 as a write-in candidate.
Pittston Councilman Samuel “Danny” Argo’s won a four-year term in 2023 and died in July. Tony Guariglia was appointed to the council seat and won a two-year term in a special election as a write-in candidate.
Lombardo wanted Frati and Guaraglia on the Nov. 4 ballot. The Democratic Party sued the election bureau to get those candidates on the ballot, and a panel of three Luzerne County judges rejected the request.
The city properly informed the bureau of the deaths and the need for two special elections, but the political parties failed to contact the bureau to nominate candidates by the deadline, Molino argued. The Democratic Party argued the bureau did not inform city or party officials of the required process until after the deadline.