| Luzerne County Council | |
| Coa Alt: | Seal of Luzerne County |
| House Type: | Unicameral |
| Term Limits: | 3 consecutive terms, resets after leaving office |
| Leader1: | John Lombardo |
| Leader2: | Brian Thornton |
| Members: | 11 |
| Term Length: | 4 years |
| Political Groups1: |
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| Last Election1: | November 7, 2023 (6 seats) |
| Next Election1: | Primary TBD |
| Session Room: | Luzerne County Courthouse flickr.jpg |
| Website: | http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/luzerne-county-council |
The Luzerne County Council is the governing body of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The council meets at the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre. There are eleven members on the assembly (seven Republicans and four Democrats). The chair is both the highest-ranking officer on the council and the head of county government for ceremonial purposes.[1] When the group is not in session, the officer's duties often include acting as its representative to the outside world and its spokesperson. The current chair is John Lombardo.
Luzerne County voters rejected home rule proposals in the past (once in 1974 and again in 2003). However, from 2008 to 2010, corruption plagued county government. Three county judges, a county commissioner, a clerk of courts, a deputy chief clerk, and a director of human resources faced criminal charges. These events persuaded the voters of Luzerne County to adopt a new form of government. On Tuesday, November 2, 2010, a home rule charter was adopted by a margin of 51,413 to 41,639.[2] [3]
The following year (in 2011), the first election for the new government was held. On Monday, January 2, 2012, the previous government (the board of county commissioners) was abolished and replaced with the new form of government (council–manager government). The first members of the Luzerne County Council were sworn in that same day. The first council chair was Jim Bobeck.[4]
See main article: article and Luzerne County Council elections. The Luzerne County Council is elected by the voters of the county. Nearly half the council is up for election every two years. It rotates between five and six seats. Each council member is elected at-large (to a four-year term). They are limited to three consecutive terms.[5] [6] In the May primary, the major political parties (Democratic and Republican) select their top candidates for the general election. For example, those who place in the top five or six become the nominees of their party. Third party (or independent) candidates may also join the race. In the November general election, all political parties/candidates square off on the same ballot. Those who place in the top five or six will be elected or re-elected to council.
The following members have been duly elected to county council by the voters of Luzerne County:[7]
| Council member | Tenure | Party | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Lombardo | 2022–present | Republican | Chair | |
| Brian Thornton | 2022–present | Republican | Vice Chair | |
| Patty Krushnowski | 2024–present | Democratic | ||
| Kevin Lescavage | 2022–present | Republican | ||
| Lee Ann McDermott | 2020–present | Republican | ||
| Joanna Bryn Smith | 2024–present | Democratic | ||
| Jimmy Sabatino | 2024–present | Democratic | ||
| Chris R. Perry | 2018–present | Republican | ||
| Brittany Stephenson | 2024–present | Democratic | ||
| Harry Haas | 2012–2022,[8] 2024–present | Republican | ||
| Gregory S. Wolovich | 2022–present | Republican |
The following chairs were elected by council:
| ! List of council chairs | Tenure | Party | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Bobeck | 2012 | Democratic | [9] | |
| 2 | Tim McGinley | 2012–2014 | Democratic | [10] [11] | |
| 3 | Rick Morelli | 2014–2015 | Republican | [12] [13] | |
| 4 | Linda McClosky Houck | 2015–2018 | Democratic | First female chair[14] | |
| 5 | Tim McGinley | 2018–2022 | Democratic | [15] | |
| 6 | Kendra Vough | 2022–2024 | Republican | [16] | |
| 7 | John Lombardo | 2024–present | Republican | [17] |
| Name | Tenure | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elaine Maddon Curry | 2012–2014 | Democratic | She did not seek re-election in 2013.[18] | |
| James Bobeck | 2012–2016 | Democratic | Bobeck served as the first council chair in 2012. He did not seek re-election in 2015.[19] | |
| Kathleen M. Dobash | 2014–2018 | Republican | She did not seek re-election in 2017.[20] | |
| Eileen M. Sorokas | 2014–2018 | Democratic | She did not seek re-election in 2017. | |
| Rick Williams | 2012–2018 | Independent | Williams did not seek re-election in 2017. He remains the only independent councilor.[21] | |
| Edward A. Brominski | 2012–2019 | Democratic | He resigned in January 2019 due to health issues.[22] Council appointed Patrick Bilbow to serve out the remainder of his term.[23] | |
| Eugene L. Kelleher | 2012–2014, 2016–2019 | Republican | Kelleher lost re-election in 2013. He won a second non-consecutive term in 2015. Kelleher resigned in July 2019 due to relocating to Lancaster County.[24] [25] Former Councilman Rick Morelli was appointed by council to serve out the remainder of Kelleher's term.[26] | |
| Patrick M. Bilbow | 2019–2020 | Democratic | In February 2019, council appointed Bilbow to serve out the remainder of Edward Brominski’s term. He lost re-election in 2019. | |
| Rick Morelli | 2012–2016, 2019–2020 | Republican | Morelli served as the third council chair from 2014 to 2015. He did not seek re-election in 2015. In August 2019, council appointed Morelli to serve out the remainder of Eugene Kelleher’s term. | |
| Stephen A. Urban | 2012–2020 | Democratic | He did not seek re-election in 2019.[27] | |
| Jane Walsh-Waitkus | 2016–2020 | Democratic | She lost re-election in 2019.[28] | |
| Walter L. Griffith, Jr. | 2020–2022 | Republican | Griffith vacated his seat after becoming Luzerne County Controller in 2022.[29] | |
| Linda McClosky Houck | 2012–2022 | Democratic | Houck served as the fourth council chair from 2015 to 2018. She was ineligible to pursue a fourth consecutive term due to term limits.[30] | |
| Sheila Saidman | 2018–2022 | Democratic | She lost re-election in 2021.[31] | |
| Robert Schnee | 2016–2022 | Republican | Schnee vacated his seat after winning a special election for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2022.[32] | |
| Matthew Vough | 2018–2022 | Democratic | He lost re-election in 2021.[33] | |
| Carl Bienias | 2022–2024 | Republican | Bienias was appointed by council in 2022 to serve the remainder of Walter Griffith's term. He lost his party's nomination in May 2023.[34] | |
| Tim McGinley | 2012–2024 | Democratic | McGinley twice served as council chair from 2012 to 2014, and again from 2018 to 2022. He was ineligible to pursue a fourth consecutive term due to term limits.[35] | |
| Matthew Mitchell | 2022–2024 | Republican | Mitchell was appointed by council in 2022 to serve the remainder of Robert Schnee's term, who vacated his seat after winning a special election for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Mitchell lost re-election in 2023.[36] | |
| Stephen J. Urban | 2012–2016, 2020–2024 | Republican | Urban served two non-consecutive terms. He lost re-election in 2015 and again in 2023.[37] | |
| Kendra M. Vough | 2020–2024 | Republican | She served as the sixth council chair from 2022 to 2024. Kendra Vough did not seek re-election in 2023.[38] |