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Democrats Tim McGinley and Robert Schnee will remain on Luzerne County Council, and will be joined by Republicans LeeAnn McDermott, Walter Griffith, Stephen J. Urban and Kendra Radle, according to unofficial general election results.
Schnee topped the count, with 27,615 votes, followed by McDermott, who received 25,028, with all 186 precincts reporting.
Griffith was next in line, garnering 23,550 votes. The tallies for the remaining three winners are: Urban, 23,535; McGinley, 23,006; and Radle, 22,282.
The five contenders unable to secure seats, along with their unofficial vote counts: Democrat Joe Sebastianelli, 21,816; Democrat Patrick Bilbow, 21,454; Democrat Anup Patel, 20,816; Democrat Jane Walsh Waitkus, 20,656; and Republican Gregory Wolovich, 20,323.
Walsh Waitkus was an incumbent, and Bilbow has been serving on council in a seat vacated by Edward Brominski earlier this year.
The selected six will take office or start new terms Jan. 6 and serve with Harry Haas, Linda McClosky Houck, Chris Perry, Sheila Saidman and Matthew Vough.
Council members receive $8,000 annually and serve for four years. Their duties include approving the budget and larger contracts, appointing members to outside county boards, enacting codes and ordinances, confirming nominations to eight division head positions and hiring and evaluating the manager.
Schnee, 60, of Sugarloaf Township, is a meter reader for the Hazleton City Authority and has served on council since 2016.
He thanked his family, friends and voters of all affiliations for “putting their trust in me for another four years,” offering special praise for his campaign manager, Mike Simko of Swoyersville.
“I’ll do everything in my power not to disappoint them,” he said of voters. “I’ll never let them down. Whatever I think is best in my heart is the decision that will be made.”
Pointing to the county’s credit rating and location of major companies to the area, Schnee has said the perspective of county government “has changed 360 degrees.” His goals include pushing for more higher-paying jobs.
McDermott, 50, of Kingston Township, has owned McDermott Real Estate Appraisals with her husband for 25 years.
A newcomer to political office, McDermott said her win was “exciting” and pledged to scrutinize county finances using the management skills she has developed as a business owner.
“My biggest thing is being fiscally conservative,” McDermott said. “In my own business I can only spend the money I have, and we have to treat county government the same way.”
McDermott also said the county should continue working to build an emergency fund and focus on long-term planning, such as exploring whether a new prison with a more efficient layout would yield savings on manpower and other costs to offset the cost of construction.
A 65-year-old Kingston Township resident, Griffith is a prior county controller and now semi-retired after 30 years in the auto repair business.
Describing himself as an advocate of the people, Griffith has called for revisions to the home rule charter to make it stronger. He also has asserted more checks and balances are needed over the manager.
“I’m looking forward to working with everyone on county council to make the county a better place for the residents,” he said, adding that he will fight to prevent tax hikes and to eliminate a $5 vehicle registration fee.
Urban, 46, of Wilkes-Barre, is an IT support coordinator for a major food distributor and served on council from 2012 through 2015.
The son of outgoing Councilman Stephen A. Urban said he will scrutinize documents, push for answers and hold the administration accountable.
“I will assume the watchdog role my father has always had. It’s kind of a continuation in that sense to do right by the taxpayers,” Urban said.
If a council majority approves a 2020 budget with any tax hike, Urban said he will support reopening the budget to find a way to eliminate an increase. He also wants to get rid of the $5 vehicle fee and focus on problems he has discovered helping a friend navigate the mental health system.
McGinley, 72, of Kingston, serves as council chairman and is a retired educator and administration director.
He has said council is changing the “direction of the county,” highlighting substantial debt repayment and a new A- credit rating as examples. McGinley also urged voters to select fair council members who can work together.
This will be the last term for McGinley because council members are limited to three consecutive terms under the home rule charter that took effect in January 2012.
Radle, 25, of Exeter, is a graduate financial services counselor at Wilkes University with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wilkes University.
“I’m just really excited to work with other members of council who are already there and new members elected to get good things done for the taxpayers of Luzerne County,” Radle said.
She has said she decided to run for council because she was tired of job seekers being told they’d have to leave the county to succeed, making keeping young people here a major campaign priority. Radle also said she would use her background in the financial services industry to help the county “stop the cycle of taxing and spending.”
“I’ve been talking about my plans for months, and I can’t wait for January,” Radle said.
Other countywide races
With 44,800 votes, the unopposed incumbent county District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis secured another term.
Voters also retained three county Court of Common Pleas judges — William H. Amesbury, Thomas F. Burke Jr. and Tina Polachek Gartley.
