Luzerne County Manager

The Luzerne County Manager heads the executive branch of the Luzerne County government. The manager is not elected by the voters of the county; instead, he or she is appointed by the Luzerne County Council. The manager directs the county's organizational, management, and administrative operations and activities.[3] The current manager is David Pedri.[2][4]

County Manager of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Incumbent
David Pedri
since 2016
Reports toLuzerne County Council
AppointerLuzerne County Council
Inaugural holderRobert Lawton
Formation2012
Salary$132,000[1]
Website[2]
The Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

History

Luzerne County voters rejected home rule proposals in the past (once in 1974 and again in 2003). However, from 2008 to 2010, corruption plagued the county government. Three county judges, a county commissioner, a clerk of courts, a deputy chief clerk, and a director of human resources faced criminal charges. These events persuaded the voters of Luzerne County to adopt a new form of government. On Tuesday, November 2, 2010, a home rule charter was adopted by a margin of 51,413 to 41,639.[5][6]

On Monday, January 2, 2012, the previous government (the board of county commissioners) was abolished and replaced with the new form of government (council–manager government). The first members of the Luzerne County Council were sworn in that same day. The assembly consists of eleven elected members. They appoint and work alongside a full-time manager. The manager oversees the county's day-to-day operations. In the beginning, Tom Pribula served as the interim county manager.[7] Several weeks later, the council appointed the first county manager (Robert Lawton).

Serving "at the pleasure of county council"

According to the home rule charter, the manager “shall serve at the pleasure of county council.”[8] In other words, the council has the power to appoint and remove the manager.[9] Each ordinance, resolution, and policy established by county council should be faithfully executed by the county manager. The manager may make recommendations to the council; however, he or she does not have the authority to vote on or veto any legislation originating from the assembly.[8]

List of county managers
#Manager’s nameTerm of officeNotes
–Tom Pribula2012He served as the interim county manager until Robert Lawton assumed office.[7]
1 Robert Lawton 2012–2015In early 2012, the Luzerne County Council officially appointed Lawton as the first county manager. The position was left vacant after he resigned in December 2015.[10]
2 David Pedri2016–presentIn early 2016, he was named acting manager. In May, the Luzerne County Council officially appointed Pedri as the second county manager (with a vote of 7-4).

References
  1. "Luzerne County Manager Gets New Contract".
  2. "County Manager | Luzerne County, PA".
  3. "County Manager Open Position". Luzerne County. Archived from the original on 2017-02-21. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  4. "Luzerne County Council Selects New County Manager".
  5. Voters say 'yes' to home rule - News. Standard Speaker (2010-11-03). Retrieved on 2013-07-23.
  6. "ELECTION RESULTS ARCHIVE". Archived from the original on 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  7. "Luzerne County's manager search". www.citizensvoice.com.
  8. "Luzerne County Home Rule Charter". Archived from the original on 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  9. "Luzerne County's manager search". citizensvoice.com.
  10. "Luzerne County Manager Robert Lawton Resigns". Archived from the original on 2017-12-31. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
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