Luzerne County Council will be interviewing the three top manager finalists publicly next week instead of in closed-door executive session.
Council Chairwoman Kendra Radle said the public interviews are a continuation of the decision to publicly release the names and resumes of all three finalists to make the “whole process as transparent as possible.”
“When we choose a candidate, I want the public to understand why. Allowing the public to sit in and listen to the interviews is a big part of that,” Radle said Wednesday.
The finalists are Romilda Crocamo, David W. Johnston and Randy Robertson.
The interview sessions will be start at 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, with instructions for a remote attendance option posted under council’s online meeting link at luzernecounty.org.
Robertson will be interviewed during the Monday night session, followed by Crocamo Tuesday night and Johnston on Wednesday night, Radle said.
Crocamo has been serving as acting manager since C. David Pedri resigned as manager in July to accept another position.
Radle said Johnston and Robertson are making their own arrangements to travel to the area for the interviews and will be reimbursed by the county.
Council will hold an executive session March 21 to discuss the interviews and is slated to vote on the hiring at its next regular meeting the following evening.
The manager approves many contracts, oversees day-to-day operations and budgets in more than 50 departments and hires and fires workers in most departments, excluding court branches and the controller and district attorney’s offices.
As required by the county’s home rule charter, the manager finalists were presented to council by an independent citizen search committee that sought and screened applicants.
Council has not yet decided on the manager compensation.
The position was advertised at up to $185,000, which is around the maximum allowable under the charter. Pedri had been receiving an annual compensation of $137,333 when he resigned.
When council voted to hire Pedri in May 2016, the meeting agenda contained a resolution with blank lines to insert the name of the person selected and the salary. A council majority approved a $120,000 salary and an offer letter that included 2% raises in 2017 and 2018.