County manager search goes beyond intended deadline

By Lisa Majors-Duff

According to their resolution adopted in December, commissioners had hoped to have a new chief administrator on board by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year. But due to the death of a search committee member (Don Putman of Glenville died suddenly March 31), the process has lagged behind.

Jackson County is not currently lacking a manager. Jay Denton of Greens Creek was elected chairman of the board of commissioners in November 1998. His duties were expanded to include those of county manager immediately after he and four other new commissioners were sworn in the following month.

At the same time, commissioners made plans to hold a non-binding referendum in November 2000, in which they asked the voters if Jackson County should join North Carolina's other 99 counties and hire a professionally-trained county manager.

The question was added to the ballot against the advice of county attorney Raymond Large, who pointed out that state election laws do not allow a governing body to "poll" the public on the issue of how to choose a county manager. Since the question would not alter the structure of board and since the board has the authority to hire a manager, state law says the county cannot spend taxpayer money asking such a question, he said.

But commissioners insisted a way be found to include the question on the ballot, upholding a campaign promise to allow the voters an opportunity to decide the issue. Voters agreed with the plan by a 62-percent approval rating.

The remaining question - when such a move would be made official - was answered by the December resolution, which included a statement indicating that "the Chairman of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners has agreed to continue serving as County Manager until June 30, 2001."

The open seat on the search committee was filled by Gaston Seal of Glenville, a recommendation from Commissioner Franz Whitmire, who had named Putman for the job originally. The full committee was scheduled to meet and discuss the more than 20 applicants Tuesday.

The committee has been charged with interviewing between five and seven individuals and narrowing the list down to three. Plans call for those three then to be reinterviewed by the full board of commissioners.

Board members seemed largely unconcerned with not meeting the deadline.

"You can only do it as fast as you can do it," said Commissioner Stacy Buchanan. "No faster."

Commissioners set aside $10,000 to conduct the search for a new county manager. Slightly more than $1,500 has already been spent from these funds for advertisements, with travel expenses for candidates expected to take up the remaining amount.

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