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SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE\/WYOU)\u2014 The Lackawanna County commissioners\u2019 special election debate took place Thursday at the University of Scranton.<\/p>\n
The three candidates faced off, answering questions from the panel and making their cases for the commissioner\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n
28\/22 News reporter Avery Nape has more with a recap of the debate.<\/p>\n
The three candidates each made their case for why they should be the one to take the third commissioner\u2019s seat in the upcoming special election.<\/p>\n
Thursday\u2019s debate ahead of the Lackawanna County commissioner special election was relatively civil.<\/p>\n
The three candidates, Democratic nominee Thom Whelby, Republican Chet Merli, and Independent Michael Cappelini, each made their case to voters.<\/p>\n
All three agreed on several issues, especially the importance of cooperation among the commissioners.<\/p>\n
School takes out loan due to state budget impasse <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe goal is not political, and it\u2019s not personal; it\u2019s about the taxpayer,\u201d stated Merli.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like little kids in a sandbox just throwing sand at each other, and we clearly have to get away from that,\u201d voiced Whelby.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re right. It\u2019s all about the governance. We need to be together; it does not matter, regardless of the letter next to your name,\u201d added Cappelini.<\/p>\n The candidates answered questions from a panel of journalists, including 28\/22 News reporter Connor Coar.<\/p>\n Topics included the state budget, the county tax reassessment, and even data centers. Cappellini and Whelby said they\u2019ll take a stand against data center development.<\/p>\n \u201cIf a community does not want a data center, then they should be allowed to block that data center,\u201d voiced Whelby.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, there\u2019s a bill in the senate, bill 939, that literally takes the local municipality\u2019s zoning power away from them,\u201d said Cappelini.<\/p>\n Merli, who is chair of the Blakely Planning Commission and has some experience dealing with data center developers, believes Bill 939 \u201cDoesn\u2019t really have any teeth in it,\u201d arguing that all municipalities are required to allow every legal use somewhere within their borders, including data centers.<\/p>\n \u201cAll that really does is say, you\u2019re going to treat a data center like you\u2019re going to treat anything else. And quite frankly, legally, you have to,\u201d commented Merli.<\/p>\n Something Cappellini took issue with.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the local municipalities will be happy to hear that you think it doesn\u2019t have teeth to it. So that\u2019s a good thing, and I hope that that is a message moving forward in your campaign,\u201d said Cappelini.<\/p>\n But that\u2019s about as fiery as things got. Cappellini and Whelby emphasized the importance of a special election rather than an appointment.<\/p>\n \u201cI think if they have the choice of a decision, or rather an appointment made by a committee, versus an election made by the people, they\u2019re going to choose the election made by the people,\u201d added Whelby.<\/p>\n \u201cI am here to serve as your county commissioner and to ensure that the voice of the people is heard with a free and fair election,\u201d expressed Cappelini.<\/p>\n Merli, on the other hand, is convinced that the ongoing squabble regarding former commissioner McGloin\u2019s seat doesn\u2019t end here.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe you\u2019ll see legal challenge after legal challenge, and if any of us here win, I believe it will be contested depending on who the winner really is,\u201d voiced Merli.<\/p>\n We couldn\u2019t possibly cover every issue the candidates discussed tonight, so here is a link<\/a> to the whole debate.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n