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. The chair is both the highest-ranking officer on the council and the head of county government for ceremonial purposes. 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 Tim McGinley.

History

Luzerne County voters rejected home rule proposals in the past. 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.
The following year, the first election for the new government was held. On Monday, January 2, 2012, the previous government was abolished and replaced with the new form of government. The first members of the Luzerne County Council were sworn in that same day. The first council chair was Jim Bobeck.

Election process

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. They are limited to three consecutive terms. In the May primary, the major political parties 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 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.

Current council members

The following members have been duly elected to county council by the voters of Luzerne County:
Council memberTenurePartyNotes
Tim McGinley2012–presentDemocraticChair
Chris R. Perry2018–presentRepublicanVice Chair
Walter L. Griffith, Jr.2020–presentRepublican
Harry Haas2012–presentRepublican
Linda McClosky Houck2012–presentDemocratic
Lee Ann McDermott2020–presentRepublican
Kendra M. Radle2020–presentRepublican
Sheila Saidman2018–presentDemocratic
Robert Schnee2016–presentDemocratic
Stephen J. Urban2012–2016, 2020–presentRepublican
Matthew Vough2018–presentDemocratic

List of council chairs

The following chairs were elected by council:
List of council chairsTenurePartyNotes
1Jim Bobeck2012Democratic
2Tim McGinley2012–2014Democratic
3Rick Morelli2014–2015Republican
4Linda McClosky Houck2015–2018DemocraticFirst female chair
5Tim McGinley2018–presentDemocratic

Former council members