Luzerne County manager compensation at forefront

More clarity may be coming on what Luzerne County government is willing to pay the next top manager.

The citizen Manager Search Committee is expected to start advertising the position in December and would need to provide some idea of compensation to prospective applicants.

Under the county’s home rule charter, the manager must make at least 55% of the elected district attorney’s compensation but not more than the DA, resulting in a current potential range of $102,116 to $185,665.

Council has not yet discussed the matter but must decide what amount is budgeted in 2022.

The county administration placed the $185,665 maximum in the proposed 2022 budget, with the idea any excess could be transferred to the budget reserve, county Budget/Finance Division Head Brian Swetz told council last week.

This approach would prevent the need for a future budget transfer if council ends up hiring someone at a compensation higher than the amount budgeted, Swetz said.

Council Chairman Tim McGinley had urged the manager search committee in October to approach council if it needs input on the salary or job description to proceed with its advertising. While council hires the manager, the charter requires the outside committee to “recommend the candidates it believes are the most qualified” to council.

“If you have a recommendation that you want council to act on, I wish somebody would communicate that in writing so that we could bring it to council and have that action, whatever that might be,” McGinley told the committee.

Search Committee Chairman Chris Hackett said last week the committee will discuss compensation at its meeting Thursday.

Hackett said he looks forward to input from the other committee members but personally advocates recommending council approve a not-to-exceed dollar amount that can be stated in the job advertisement. He has said reasonable compensation is particularly important to recruit the best applicants in today’s job market.

Committee member Rick Morelli has said council must provide direction on the pay because it is a major factor for those deciding whether to apply. Otherwise, prospective applicants will resort to searching online for an indication of what other county managers have been paid, he has said.

The county’s first manager Robert Lawton, hired shortly after home rule’s implementation in 2012, had received $110,000. His successor, C. David Pedri, who resigned in July, was hired at $120,000 and rose to an annual compensation of $137,333 this year.

The prior search committee activated in 2015 before Pedri was hired had proposed advertising the manager position at $140,000 to $160,000.

It had concluded $140,000 was an appropriate minimum based on a review of compensation for county managers in similar counties. The maximum was based on council’s decision to budget $160,000 for the position in 2016.

But council ended up sticking with the charter compensation wording and not narrowing it down, resulting in an advertised range from $96,565 to $175,572. Critics said that unusually broad salary range may have deterred applicants.

In the current manager search, a reconfigured council will ultimately hire the next manager in 2022, with a “supermajority” vote of seven required.

Linda McClosky Houck and Harry Haas are leaving council the end of the year because they served the three consecutive terms permitted under the charter. Based on unofficial Nov. 2 general election results, Sheila Saidman and Matthew Vough did not win reelection.

As a result, newcomers John Lombardo, Gregory S. Wolovich Jr., Brian Thornton and Kevin Lescavage are set serve with current members McGinley, Chris Perry, Kendra Radle, LeeAnn McDermott, Robert Schnee and Stephen J. Urban. Council must fill the remaining council seat with a Republican at the start of 2022 because Councilman Walter Griffith was elected county controller.

Lombardo said last week he believes the manager compensation should be high enough to attract applicants capable of excelling in the demanding position, which, at times, can be a “24-7 headache” depending on the issues that surface. The salary also should convey that this person is “valued by council and the citizens,” he said.

Although the charter maximum may be too high, the bottom is too low, he said.

“I don’t know what the exact figure should be, but it should be substantial,” Lombardo said.

Setting the compensation too low may attract applicants who are not vested in the community and view the position as a short-term “stepping stone,” Lombardo said.

Hackett said an updated timeline on the application, review and recommendation process also will be discussed at Thursday’s search committee meeting.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions on the virtual attendance option are posted under council’s online meetings section at luzernecounty.org.