Two of Luzerne County government’s eight division head posts will now be vacant because operational services overseer Edmund O’Neill has submitted his resignation to accept a private-sector position, County Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo announced Friday.
Prior administrative services division head David Parsnik abruptly resigned in late September and had declined comment on the reason.
Crocamo said she won’t be recommending anyone for vacant division head positions because she believes those choices should be up to the permanent manager.
The county’s manager search committee plans to start advertising the top manager position Dec. 27 and provide a list of qualified applicants to council for its consideration in April. Council must then conduct its own interviews before making a selection.
Council must confirm manager-nominated division head appointments for the positions to be filled.
Crocamo also holds one of the eight division head positions as chief solicitor overseeing law, although she temporarily stepped aside from that position when she was made interim manager.
O’Neill has been operational services division head since July 2016. He has a bachelor’s degree in engineering management and master’s degree in business administration and previously had been employed as an office manager/controller at Kuharchik Construction Inc. in Exeter, according to prior published reports.
The operational services head oversees engineering, roads and bridges, planning and zoning, 911, emergency management, buildings and grounds, the boiler plant and solid waste management.
O’Neill currently receives $91,087 annually.
“Please join me in thanking him for his service to the county and wishing him the best in his future endeavors,” Crocamo said in an email to council announcing O’Neill’s resignation.
Crocamo said Friday she is still reviewing appointment options for someone to temporarily oversee operational services after O’Neill leaves on Jan. 14.
The county’s home rule charter allows interim appointments to division head posts in 90-day allotments.
County Human Resources Director Angela Gavlick will be interim administrative services director until her 90-day appointment expires around the end of this month, when someone else must be appointed.
Attorney Shannon Crake Lapsansky was appointed acting chief county solicitor Oct. 5.