Crocamo gives Luzerne County her two weeks

After 10 months as Luzerne County’s acting manager, Romilda Crocamo informed county council and staff she will be leaving in two weeks to accept other employment.

Her May 20 departure means someone else must serve as interim overseer for the approximately three weeks before Randy Robertson takes over as the new county manager. Currently working in Colorado under a contract, Robertson has said he expects to be in the county the week of June 13.

“The past twelve years serving the residents of Luzerne County have been exceptional for me and will make a marked impression for the rest of my life,” Crocamo said in her Friday announcement. “I will miss the incredible people I have had the pleasure of working with throughout the years.”

Crocamo declined to specify her professional plans, saying necessary employment agreements are still pending finalization.

Following work at two New York City law firms and as managing attorney at the Barbara J. Hart Justice Center in Scranton, Crocamo started her county employment in 2010 as a juvenile delinquency and dependency court master and then as a law clerk for county Court of Common Pleas Judge Tina Polachek Gartley. In July 2016, she was hired as chief county solicitor to oversee the county’s law division.

She has served as acting manager since prior manager C. David Pedri left July 6 for other employment.

Nine of 11 council members had voted April 12 to hire Robertson at an annual compensation of $181,500.

Council had been unable to act on the hiring at its March 29 meeting because no finalist secured the seven votes required under the county’s home rule charter, with six votes cast for Robertson and five for Crocamo. Crocamo subsequently withdrew her name from consideration.

Council response

County council members shared mixed reactions to her departure.

Councilman Stephen J. Urban said he was a bit surprised because Crocamo had indicated she would help with the transition.

“So much for a smooth transition and having the betterment of the county in mind,” Urban said.

Crocamo said she responded to all Robertson’s requests for information to be mailed to him. She also put him in touch with department and division heads and has been updating him on county matters, she said. The county human resources department also sent him data he was seeking, and managers are working on preparing updates, she said.

Councilman Kevin Lescavage said he wishes Crocamo well.

“It kind of puts us in a bind, but that’s OK. It’s just another hurdle we’ll overcome,” Lescavage said.

Councilwoman LeeAnn McDermott said she wasn’t surprised because she heard Crocamo was exploring options. Although McDermott supported Robertson over Crocamo for the manager post, she said Crocamo is a “wonderful person and very nice and helpful.”

“I wish you the greatest success in this new phase of your career,” McDermott wrote in reply to Crocamo’s announcement. “I sincerely hope our paths cross in the future. You have been a mentor to so many of us, and it’s truly appreciated. I wish you the best on the road ahead.”

Council Chairwoman Kendra Radle said she is sad to see Crocamo leave and is confident she will be successful in her new work.

“The entire span of time she was at the county, she has always had the county’s best interest at heart,” Radle said.

Radle said Crocamo’s resignation is further evidence of that.

“I think she realizes nothing is going to get done with her as manager because a majority of council doesn’t want to do anything until Randy Robertson gets here,” Radle said.

Radle said the county “needs to keep running” and expressed concern the deferral of too many matters will put an unrealistic burden on Robertson without allowing for him to become acclimated before he is faced with 2023 budget preparations.

Council is now “broken into two factions,” Radle said.

“I was hoping after the manager vote that would subside, but it has not,” Radle said. “If it continues after Randy Robertson gets here, my outlook on the home rule government is not good.”

Council Vice Chairman John Lombardo voiced a similar assessment.

“I’m disappointed to see Romilda Crocamo leave the position prior to the arrival of our new manager, but at the same time I completely understand why she may want to leave,” Lombardo said. “She’s essentially ineffective as a manager because a a majority of council won’t work with her and wants to keep business at a standstill until Randy gets here. The business of the county does not stop just because we are in the middle of a transition.”

Six council members have been aligned on some votes in recent times, although they have individually said they vote their conscience and are not a voting bloc on all decisions. These members are Carl Bienias III, Lescavage, McDermott, Brian Thornton, Urban and Gregory Wolovich.

Lescavage said he does not believe it is prudent to tie Robertson’s hands on major matters, such as requests to provide a guarantee for an infrastructure loan or earmark the remaining $97 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding.

He said several union contracts recently presented to county council had not been executed before they expired the end of 2021 due to a lame-duck council, and he believes the county now has a lame-duck administration until Robertson takes over.

Councilman Chris Perry said Crocamo will be “sorely missed” for her expertise of county matters and ability to decipher complex legal matters.

“She has been a great asset to the county. Her knowledge of the operations of the county has been outstanding.”

Councilman Tim McGinley described Crocamo’s departure as a “great loss to the county.”

“I think she’s done a tremendous job as acting manager the last 10 months. Whoever she ends up working for, they’ll be very happy with her performance,” he said.

What’s next?

Radle said she does not know how a council majority will want to proceed on determining who will oversee the county during the three weeks before Robertson’s arrival.

Crocamo had selected county Human Services Division Head Lynn Hill as her designee, but council members are free to select someone else.

McDermott said it should be someone already on staff because the assignment is for a short period and would require immediate understanding of county operations.

Urban said choosing an acting manager is an emergency situation awaiting council’s decision, and he does not have anyone particular in mind for the task.

Speaking from her third-floor office in the county’s Penn Place Building in downtown Wilkes-Barre Friday afternoon, Crocamo said will most miss the experience of working with employees she described as “dedicated public servants.”

“I learned so much from them,” she said.

With Crocamo’s departure, three of the county’s eight division head spots are now open. Crocamo had said she would leave division head appointments up to the next permanent manager.

Edmund O’Neill resigned as the operational services division head in January. The administrative services division head position also is open because David Parsnik resigned last September.

Council must confirm the manager’s nominee for permanent division head appointments under the county’s home rule charter.