WILKES-BARRE, Pa. --David Pedri calls it a busy job, a labor of love.
He has been Luzerne County Manager since 2016 and says he is ready to do more.
"It's a 1,400-person workforce, it's a county that's bigger than the state of Rhode Island. I have to know a little bit about everything from fixing potholes to a prison to HR issues to budget but I'm blessed to have it and I'm lucky to have this job."
Tuesday night, Luzerne County Council approved a new four-year deal with Pedri.
It is an agreement that includes a $132,000 salary, which is a nearly six percent raise from his current salary plus performance incentives.
Some council members objected to that.
Others praised Pedri's work.
"I fully appreciate council's support and most importantly the county employees for what we've done here,” he said.
As county manager, Pedri approves contracts, hires and fires workers, and manages day-to-day operations.
He says he is proud of what he's accomplished: the courthouse restoration, settling county lawsuits, and paying off county debt, but believes he has more to tackle.
"We're continually working on county roads, I think that's a major issue. We have 128 miles of roads that we really need to take care of and working with municipalities on those, I have to make sure our workforce always stays in line,” said Pedri.
Pedri's new contract goes into effect on January 1, 2019, and runs through 2022.