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<p>Luzerne County Council is set to vote tonight on a four-year employment agreement with county Manager C. David Pedri, although the proposed salary raises have not yet been released, according to a revised meeting agenda posted at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09252018-1267" target="_blank">www.luzernecounty.org</a>.</p><p>Pedri&#8217;s current agreement expires the end of this year. A former county chief solicitor, the 39-year-old Butler Township resident was hired as the county&#8217;s second non-interim manager under the home rule government structure in May 2016.</p><p>He was hired at $120,000 and received 2 percent raises in 2017 and 2018, for a current salary of $124,848.</p><p>Tonight&#8217;s meeting starts at 6 p.m. and is preceded by an executive session. The meeting will be at the Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke.</p><p>According to the proposed resolution, council must set the manager&#8217;s salary through a resolution.</p><p>The lines were left blank for council to insert the salary that will be paid to Pedri on Jan. 1, 2019, and the raises he will receive on Jan. 1 in 2020, 2021 and 2022.</p><p>It says other terms and conditions will be contained in &#8220;extension of employment agreement offer letter&#8221; that was not posted.</p><p>Several county officials have stressed that the agreement does not force the manager to stay &#8212; or council to keep him &#8212; for a set period of time. Pedri would be free to resign, and council retains the power to terminate.</p><p>An ad-hoc council committee has been handling the negotiations with Pedri, but a majority of the 11-member body must approve the compensation and other terms for them to take effect.</p><p>Council Chairman Tim McGinley said he created the committee because the negotiations involve confidential personnel matters and it is the first time a manager contract renewal has come up since the county&#8217;s January 2012 switch to a voter-approved home rule structure.</p><p>Robert Lawton, the first manager, never pressed for renewal of the agreement approved when he was hired in February 2012. That agreement provided $110,000 annually, membership in various government professional organizations, attendance at two annual organization conferences and access to a county vehicle for employment-related travel.</p><p>Lawton resigned from the manager position in December 2015.</p><p>Under home rule, the manager approves many contracts, oversees day-to-day operations and hires and fires workers in most departments. The county has a $300 million budget, with human service branches included, 1,400 workers and more than 50 departments.</p><p>The meeting is at the Educational Conference Center at the college, 1333 S. Prospect St. in Nanticoke.</p><p>Check back this evening for an update.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_TTL091318Pedri2-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Pedri </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_TTL091318Pedri2-3.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>

Luzerne County Manager Pedri’s contract renewal added to tonight’s council agenda