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Life Deconstructed: Sibling rivalry leads to sibling bonding…hopefully

Northwest baseball snaps Hanover Area’s 43-game WVC win streak

When Luzerne County Manager Robert Lawton leaves, should his appointed division heads (aka cabinet members) be replaced?You may recall that Luzerne County Council amended the personnel code, reclassifying division heads from &#8220;career service employees&#8221; to &#8220;exempt service employees&#8221; to allow the manager more subjective latitude in hiring manager-specific division heads.Councilman James Bobeck compared the manager&#8217;s selection of division heads to a president or governor choosing cabinet members, further explaining that the manager should have the latitude to choose who he or she wants and, therefore, he does not have to adhere to the mandated merit-hiring process specified in the charter designed to objectively hire the best and brightest without bias. Councilman Bobeck and five others on council changed the personnel code wording accordingly.Government Study Commission Chairman James Haggerty, when asked to define &#8220;exempt service employees,&#8221; said the intent of the classification was to allow personal chemistry to play a role in the selection of certain key positions.I believe the long-term needs of the community should outweigh the personal desires of a short-lived manager. Keep favoritism out of the hiring equation.Michael GiamberFairmount Township

Letter to the Editor: Luzerne County’s division heads should be picked on merit, not a manager’s whims