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<p>C. David Pedri appears to have the votes necessary to be appointed Luzerne County&#8217;s next top manager this evening, according to interviews with several council members.</p><p>The council is set to meet in closed-door executive session before the 6 p.m. voting meeting at the county courthouse in Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>Seven of 11 council votes &#8212; a majority plus one &#8212; are required to appoint a manager.</p><p>The council interviewed two finalists furnished by a citizen manager search committee required by the home rule charter &#8212; Pedri, of Butler Township, and Jeffrey D. Beck, of Mountain Top.</p><p>David W. Johnston, of Washington, the third initial finalist supplied by the search committee, withdrew, saying he was pursuing other opportunities.</p><p>Pedri, the county&#8217;s chief county solicitor, has been serving as acting county manager since January, following Robert Lawton&#8217;s Dec. 31 resignation as the first permanent manager under the customized home rule government implemented in January 2012.</p><p>Pedri previously ran a private family law practice and worked as deputy county district attorney.</p><p>Some county employees are expected to attend tonight&#8217;s meeting as a show of support for Pedri.</p><p>Many workers praise his efforts to understand and promote their work, rebuild morale, speed up decision-making, fill vacant positions and establish clear goals.</p><p>Beck also has received some community support, particularly for his financial background. He has a master&#8217;s degree in business administration, owned a cleaning franchise company and previously had served as president and board director of Advanta Bank Corp.</p><p>The proposed resolution hiring a manager also includes a blank space for the starting salary, which hasn&#8217;t been set.</p><p>The position was advertised at an unusually broad salary range &#8212; $96,565 to $175,572 &#8212; because the county council decided to stick with the compensation wording in the charter.</p><p>The charter says the salary can&#8217;t exceed the elected district attorney&#8217;s compensation or be less than 55 percent of the district attorney&#8217;s salary, which is $175,572 this year.</p><p>The county budgeted $160,000 for the manager position in 2016. Lawton had received $110,000. Pedri received $90,000 as solicitor.</p><p>Under home rule, the county manager oversees day-to-day finances and operations and hires and oversees employees who are not controlled by the court, controller or district attorney. The exceptions: the council hires and manages a council clerk and must vote to confirm the manager&#8217;s nominees for eight division head posts.</p><p>The manager also prepares a budget for the council&#8217;s consideration. The manager doesn&#8217;t have to come to council for approval on purchases if he has enough budgeted funds to cover them unless the expenditures would cost the county $25,000 in a future year or $75,000 in two or more years.</p><p>The next manager faces major financial hurdles. The county needs revenue to clear out a deficit pegged at $16.9 million at the end of 2014 and to cover rising expenses, such as a growing pension fund subsidy. The county&#8217;s 2016 budget also relied on $7 million in revenue that won&#8217;t be available again or is earmarked for other purposes.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_Pedri.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Pedri </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_Pedri.jpg</photo0><caption0>Pedri </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Pedri expected to be hired as Luzerne County manager tonight