Westmoreland officials on Thursday are expected to consolidate leadership of the county’s public works department and election bureau.

Public Works Director Greg McCloskey has served in a dual capacity for the past year after he was named as interim director of the election bureau following the June 2021 firing of Election Bureau Director JoAnn Sebastiani. She served less than 12 months on the job.

McCloskey — in charge of the department that oversees county roads, bridges and parks — along with Computer Information Systems Director Scott Ross, oversaw a reorganized election department during the 2021 general election and this spring’s primary.

“He (McCloskey) will still have responsibility for both jobs,” said Controller Jeff Balzer, who, along with the three county commissioners, serve as salary board members and are expected to vote in favor of the proposal. “Greg is very capable. The election bureau needs someone who will hit the ground running.”

The new position, if approved, carries an annual salary of $120,135. McCloskey earns $92,700 in his role as public works director.

McCloskey’s new salary will be retroactive to Oct. 1.

County solicitor Melissa Guiddy issued a statement for the commissioners Wednesday that expressed support for the plan to name McCloskey as head of the both departments.

“Initially, the individual in this position, namely Gregory McCloskey, will remain responsible for the day-to-day operations of public works and election bureau as he has been doing for over a year. The structure of the middle managers previously created in the election bureau, with the involvement of information systems, will continue to remain the same. With this position, it is anticipated that future projects could fall within his job duties,” Guiddy wrote.

Commissioners in January awarded McCloskey a $5,000 bonus for his work running both departments in 2021.

McCloskey could not be reached Wednesday for comment.

At a public meeting this week, commissioners declined to discuss specifics of their plans for the election bureau.

“We’re heading in the right direction,” Commissioner Sean Kertes said.

Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher said commissioners were having “internal discussion” about how to proceed with the department.

“We’re not ready to comment on it,” Thrasher said Tuesday.

Neither Kertes nor Thrasher commented Wednesday. Commissioner Doug Chew, responding by text message to a question about the election bureau plan, replied, “Who said anything about combining those jobs?” Chew didn’t elaborate or answer followup questions.

Commissioners have struggled to find permanent leadership for the election bureau since longtime director Beth Lechman resigned in mid-2020. Lechman since has been hired to run Centre County’s election department.

Sebastiani, a deputy director in the county’s tax office, was hired in August 2020 to head Westmoreland’s election bureau and oversaw the presidential election and the spring 2021 primary. Both elections were marred by administrative errors, commissioners said when they announced Sebastiani’s firing last year.

Sebastiani since has filed a federal lawsuit against the county, claiming she was fired for political reasons and was subjected to a hostile work environment.

Commissioners last summer reorganized the election bureau, made it part of the county’s computer department and hired an office manager and quality assurance officer to bolster its staff.

Greg Kline, hired in October as the quality assurance manager for the election bureau and to serve in that role throughout county government, resigned from his $80,000 job this summer. Commissioners said they plan to replace Kline this year.

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