Luzerne County Council set to vote on county manager employment agreement

Luzerne County Council is set to vote Tuesday on an employment agreement with county Manager Romilda Crocamo, the agenda said.

Under the proposed agreement, Crocamo would receive $181,501. That is $1 more than the compensation that had been paid to prior county manager Randy Robertson.

Crocamo was hired at $160,000 in May 2023 and received $175,000 annually in 2024 and this year.

According to the proposed resolution on Tuesday’s agenda:

Council had approved an offer letter detailing Crocamo’s terms of employment when she was hired in May 2023. Now, “after two years of impeccable service,” council wants to extend the terms and offer Crocamo a four-year employment contract running from Jan. 1, 2026 through the end of 2029.

If the annual evaluation of the manager performed by county council yields a score of 80% or greater, Crocamo also would receive a minimum 2.5% pay increase at the start of 2027, 2028 and 2029.

All other terms and conditions will be contained in an extension of the employment agreement offer letter that is pending council’s discussion of terms with Crocamo.

The terms and conditions of employment will be made available to the public after this discussion between council and the manager, it said.

There is past precedent for a four-year employment agreement.

In September 2018, a council majority approved a four-year employment agreement with then-county manager C. David Pedri that included raises and performance incentives.

This agreement increased Pedri’s salary to $132,000 for 2019 and included 2% raises at the start of 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Bonuses were offered if an unqualified county audit was completed by June 30 ($1,000 in 2020; $1,100 in 2021 and $1,200 in 2022) and if Pedri scored 80% or greater on his annual performance review ($1,000 in 2020; $1,100 in 2021; and $1,200 in 2022).

Pedri also had to provide a 30-day notice if he resigned. If his employment ended in 2019, 2020 or 2021, he would receive one month of health care coverage subject to normal deductions. He would receive two months of salary and benefits if he departed in 2022.

Pedri ended up resigning as county manager, effective July 2021.

Independent of that agreement, council retained its home rule charter power to terminate the manager.

Tuesday’s council meeting is at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

Instructions for the remote attendance option will be posted under council’s online public meetings section at luzernecounty.org.