During the County Manager’s Report portion of the regular monthly meeting of the Vance County Board of Commissioners, County Manager Jerry Ayscue related a discussion within the Human Resources Committee outling the difficulty of filling the position of Economic Development Director in the past.
The last search lasted eighteen months. The applicant who was eventually hired, Guido Esselborn, held the post from June to October of this year.
Ayscue told members that he had also talked to members of the Economic Development Commission (EDC), and that that body had suggested running parallel searches. One search would be conducted by the county “in-house”, while the other search would be run by an executive search firm.
The county manager reported that an appropriate budget for using a search firm was between $19,000 and $20,000, with incidental costs around $4,500.
Ayscue ended his remarks by asking the board to authorize him to engage an executive search firm for not more than $19,500.
Newly-sworn member Tommy Hester noted for members that he is the only commissioner who served on the EDC board. He said that the board “works very hard” and has just reorganized, and that he would like to see the EDC board have some of the accountability down the road.
Hester told members that he would like to see the EDC board appoint a committee of EDC members to go and look for prospects that they would in turn bring back to the county manager. Hester went on to say that he did not want three to four people looking [for prospective hires] and not know who is in charge.
When asked, Ayscue said he saw no problem with that arrangement. He did, however, emphasize that the county ultimately hires the individual, and that Director of the EDC it is a county position.
Member Dan Brummitt countered that Ayscue is accountable, and therefore the board should do what he recommends and help him.
Hester rejoined that [the EDC] has some of the best people in Vance County on it.
“Let’s put them to work,” Hester said.
Member Deborah Brown said that she understood Hester to be recommending that the EDC board be authorized to select and engage an executive search firm.
“And report to the county manager,” Hester added.
Brummitt reiterated his belief that the county needs to be in charge of the contract, and that the position is a county job. He asked why the EDC should be the “middleman” for Ayscue.
Brown argued that if the EDC had primary responsibility for hiring, they might be able to engage someone sooner. She said that it would make the EDC accountable if “they don’t get us somebody”.
Hester put forward that the last hiring process took too long, and that he was afraid that if the same method was used, the same problem would result.
“I’d like to see the EDC helping Jerry out,” Hester said.
Brummitt responded that the county manager should be the one to set up interviews. He went on to argue that non-county employees handling confidential hiring information could cause the county to have “legal restraints”.
“We’re always going to have those,” Hester countered.
A motion was sculpted by Ayscue that allowed the county manager to select and engage an executive search firm to assist in filling the position of EDC director, and that the effort should be in coordination with the EDC board “from beginning to end”. It was also stipulated that the cost should be no more than $19,500, and should come from the EDC budget.
The motion was presented by Brown, seconded by Hester, and passed unanimously.