Luzerne County manager job advertisement set for public posting within 48 hours

An advertisement seeking Luzerne County government’s next top manager should appear online within 48 hours, or by Saturday, search committee Chairman Charles Sciandra said Thursday.

The advertisement will be publicly posted for approximately two weeks on websites of the county (luzernecounty.org), the International City/County Management Association (icma.org), the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (pacounties.org) and NEOGOV (governmentjobs.com), Sciandra said.

Under the home rule structure, the three-citizen search committee must seek, screen and interview manager applicants and recommend the candidates it believes are the most qualified to council for its consideration.

Council had asked the committee to attempt to forward recommended applicants to council by the end of March.

The committee plans to meet on March 1 to firm up its applicant screening process, Sciandra said.

He is optimistic the county will receive a strong pool of applicants.

As preparation for its screening and interviews, the committee recently met with county division heads to discuss their opinions about the manager position and issues facing county government, Sciandra said. The committee also is in the process of seeking feedback from city mayors within the county and asking county council members for their top five goals for county government, he said.

Sciandra also believes the county should consider a transition team and plan.

While a permanent manager is an essential component of the county government’s success, there is no “silver bullet” due to the myriad of challenges that must be addressed, Sciandra said.

“You can’t take a person and just throw them into this job,” he said.

Council left it up to the search committee to determine the stated salary range for the advertisement while making it clear the final determination on compensation will be up to council.

The committee is advertising a base range of $116,322 to $180,000, noting the county also offers a robust benefit package that includes medical and dental insurance, vision care, flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, a retirement program, paid leave and an employee assistance program.

The minimum salary is cemented because the county’s home rule charter says the manager must make at least 55% of the district attorney’s compensation but not more than the DA. This year, the DA compensation is $211,495, or $1,000 less than the state-approved salary for county Court of Common Pleas judges.

Council allocated $145,000 for the manager salary in the 2023 budget, although that earmark can be adjusted.

Prior manager Randy Robertson received $181,500 annually. His predecessor, C. David Pedri, was hired at $120,000 and left making $137,333. Robert Lawton, the first manager hired under home rule, received $110,000 annually.

The advertisement heading says the county is seeking a manager-executive for the 12th largest county in Pennsylvania.

At minimum, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in public administration, finance, business administration or a closely related field and at least five years of related professional experience in a similar or larger organization. Although not required, the county also is seeking applicants with a master’s degree and/or county management credentials as well as experience with home rule government forms.

Applicants can email their resume and salary requirements to LCSMC@luzernecounty.org or mail them to the County Manager Search Committee, P.O. Box 99, 122 Main St., Luzerne, PA 18709-8777.

The advertisement includes a description of the county, an explanation of the home rule structure, a summary of the government workforce and budget and a lengthy list of essential responsibilities that must be performed by the manager.