Jimmy Sabatino is a public servant, small business owner, and advocate for practical, responsible growth in Luzerne County. As the first openly gay person elected to Luzerne County Council, he has focused his service on improving infrastructure, strengthening the local economy, protecting taxpayers, and making county government more effective and accountable.

At the center of Jimmy’s work is a commitment to rebuilding Luzerne County’s foundation. He has supported efforts to repair deteriorating roads, replace aging bridges, modernize county facilities, and address long-standing infrastructure needs. He believes infrastructure is about more than roads and buildings. It affects public safety, economic development, quality of life, and whether communities are prepared for the future. His approach emphasizes cost-effective investments that deliver measurable, long-term benefits for residents.

Jimmy has also made fiscal responsibility a central priority. He believes county government must live within its means while continuing to invest in essential services, public facilities, and economic opportunity. He has worked to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used carefully, transparently, and for their intended purpose. For Jimmy, responsible budgeting is not simply about reducing spending. It is about setting clear priorities, avoiding waste, and reinvesting public resources where they will have the greatest impact.

As a small business owner, Jimmy understands the pressures facing local employers and working families. Through his family’s Vesuvio’s restaurants in Drums, and Mountain Top, he has experienced rising costs, workforce shortages, regulatory burdens, and the challenges of competing in a changing economy. That experience shapes his support for reducing unnecessary red tape, expanding access to resources for small businesses, strengthening the local workforce, and pursuing economic development that benefits the people who already live and work in Luzerne County.

Jimmy believes growth should create lasting prosperity, not simply short-term gains for large developers. He has supported policies that encourage responsible development, protect taxpayers, create quality jobs, and ensure that public incentives produce meaningful benefits for local communities. Economic development should strengthen neighborhoods, expand opportunity, and help locally owned businesses succeed.

His service extends beyond county government. Jimmy has worked with organizations including the United Way, the Commission on Economic Opportunity, and Catholic Social Services to better understand and address food insecurity, housing instability, and other challenges facing Luzerne County residents. He has visited food distribution centers supported through the county’s American Rescue Plan investments and has advocated for sustained efforts to combat hunger. He recognizes that food insecurity is not a temporary problem, but a persistent challenge requiring coordinated, long-term solutions.

Through his work with the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Development Board and the Pennsylvania State Workforce Development Board, Jimmy has emphasized the importance of investing in people. He supports expanding job-training programs, increasing access to registered apprenticeships, and strengthening partnerships among employers, educational institutions, labor organizations, and workforce agencies. He believes residents should have clear pathways to stable, well-paying careers and that local employers should have access to the skilled workforce they need to grow.

Jimmy is committed to building a stronger, more resilient Luzerne County—one that invests in infrastructure, expands economic opportunity, supports local businesses, and makes government work for the people it serves. Whether addressing roads and bridges, promoting responsible development, strengthening the workforce, or protecting taxpayer dollars, his focus remains the same: reinvesting in us and building a county where every community has the opportunity to thrive.