Five months after his hiring, Luzerne County’s top manager Randy Robertson said he informed county council he will be resigning.
The move came a day after a public outcry over a paper shortage that caused widespread problems at the polls and prompted the extreme measure of extending voting from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
However, Robertson said during a brief interview before Wednesday night’s council meeting that he was intending to resign for reasons unrelated to the election problems. He cited family health issues as a primary reason.
Council immediately called a closed-door executive session at the opening of Wednesday’s meeting, which was packed with citizens eager to air complaints and frustrations about Election Day problems.
Several council members said before the meeting there was a movement afoot to take personnel action against Robertson due to their deep concerns about the election, with possibilities ranging from a vote of no confidence to termination. Seven of 11 votes are required to terminate the manager under the county’s home rule charter.
Councilman Tim McGinley and some other council members have been vocal about their displeasure with Robertson’s performance before Tuesday’s election.
Robertson announced his plans after he and council members emerged from the executive session.
Robertson said he made it “crystal clear” to council when he came here from his most recent assignment in Colorado that he had some family issues and that his family would come first. Since that time, he said his elderly mother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and his wife required additional surgery.
As a result, Robertson said he decided it would be in the best interest of the county to move on.
“It’s become obvious to me I can’t do family obligations and continue to do this,” he said.
He said he plans to submit his resignation in the next month or, at latest, by the end of the year, with the intention of participating with completion of the 2023 budget process. Robertson also said he is open to assisting as a consultant, if desired by council, during the search for his replacement.
Robertson said he believes the county has made “tremendous inroads” during his tenure, particularly in Children and Youth and other human service departments.
Under the county’s home rule structure, council must appoint a citizen manager search committee to seek and screen applicants and recommend finalists to council for its consideration.
Nine of 11 council members had voted to hire Robertson in April, and he started work June 13. Councilman Chris Perry had voted against Robertson’s hiring, and lone Democrat Tim McGinley abstained.
Council had been unable to act on the hiring at its March 29 meeting because no finalist secured the seven votes required under the charter, with six votes cast for Robertson and five for then-County Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo. Crocamo then withdrew her name from consideration.
Council agreed to pay Robertson $181,500 annually. He had said he was fine working without a contractual term to remain in the position for a set period of time. Council’s offer letter said he must agree to provide a 30-day advance written notice if he intends to resign and that the county agrees to provide the same 30-day notice in the event of termination.
Robertson had held city management positions in several states and previously was a chief of staff for a signal brigade in the U.S. European Command from September 2001 to January 2005 and chief of staff for the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico from January 2005 to June 2006. A retired U.S. Army officer, he has three master’s degrees in public service from Western Kentucky University, in urban studies from Johns Hopkins University and in strategic planning from the U.S. Army War College.
County Controller Walter Griffith said he does not believe Robertson was prepared for the position and encouraged council to require a short time frame for the search committee to come up with finalists.
Election complaints
During public comment, a crowd of citizens appeared to complain about the paper issue and other election problems, including a lack of clear direction from the election bureau as problems unfolded.
Each citizen’s demand for accountability and action prompted applause from the meeting room audience and a large overflow audience gathered in the courthouse rotunda to watch the meeting from there.
“This is the worst I’ve ever seen,” said Bob McMillan, demanding a transparent and complete investigation and action against workers responsible.
Several poll workers described chaos figuring out how to accommodate voters after paper ran out and they realized there was no replenishment.
A poll worker in Salem Township said a man sent his wife to an office supply store to secure paper there, which was used without problems.
Brian Dwyer said there is “no excuse” for the situation, estimating his Larksville polling place disenfranchised 50 voters as a result of running out of paper.
At one point, his polling place was informed no paper or provisional ballots were available from the county, and he said poll workers were instructed by the county to “do what you need to do.”
Council response
Council Vice Chairman John Lombardo suggested council reconvene an election inquiry committee that had been activated in the past. The prior committee convened in 2020 largely due to the discovery that a temporary seasonal worker had discarded nine overseas military ballots.
Lombardo’s colleagues expressed support for the plan but decided to vote on the committee activation at a subsequent meeting because advance notice was not provided on the meeting agenda.
Council members spoke about the Election Day problems during their work session, with several thanking poll workers for remaining late and absorbing anger from voters that was not the fault of those working the polls.
Election bureau management turnover and continuing confusion over which entity — the administration or citizen election board — controls different aspects of election oversight also were identified as issues.
Councilman Brian Thornton suggested the county reach out to other counties with strong election operations to figure out how to improve the bureau here.
Thornton and Council members Stephen J. Urban and Kevin Lescavage questioned how the board will certify the election due to all the problems. Thornton said he has verification that ballots were shredded at various polling locations.
Councilman Carl Bienias III described the Election Day problems as a “fumble of mass proportion” and said the county must “get our house in order.”
Lescavage said a seal was broken on election equipment in Harveys Lake, and he had reports of ballots placed in boxes.
“There were just so many things that went awry,” Lescavage said.
Manager report
Robertson told council 113,000 ballots were successfully counted, and he anticipates based on pending stacks of ballots that the vote count will reach 120,000 to 125,000 by the time the election board completes its adjudication.
“This is the largest midterm in the history of this county as I understand it,” he said.
County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce is willing to conduct an investigation if council desires, and Robertson said he believes that would be the best path, particularly amid complaints about broken seals.
Robertson agreed the county’s failure to procure the needed quantity of proper-stock paper was “unacceptable.” He also said bureau management turnover and lack of institutional knowledge in recent years are contributing to issues.
Questions have been raised on whether the paper problem was intentional, Robertson said.
“I don’t think so, but I don’t know,” Robertson said. “We need to have facts rather than speculation.”
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.