An important step in the search for the new Summit County manager may begin on Wednesday as Tom Fisher prepares to vacate the office later this week.
The Summit County Council is scheduled to discuss and possibly approve members of the county manager selection committee. The group will be tasked with choosing a recruitment firm to help find candidates and providing recommendations to the County Council.
David Warnock, the county’s human resources director, is slated to start the 10-minute conversation around 4:15 p.m., but the agenda doesn’t provide any other details about the discussion. He suggested on July 13 creating a committee and soliciting nominations for the group.
The county announced it would begin accepting applications from interested citizens on Facebook. The post, which was shared to several community groups, asked people to submit their name, or a nominee’s name, by Tuesday to be considered. Committee members must be registered voters of Summit County.
The County Council will then review the names and select at least five and up to nine people to serve on the manager selection committee. The group may choose to interview applicants or choose based on the information they provided. The County Council could also nominate members of its own or wait until more names are received if there isn’t a large enough response.
The committee will interview county manager candidates, review their qualifications and then provide at least three names to the County Council. They could then offer the position to one person from the list or they may ask for three additional names if they are not satisfied with the recommendations.
The County Council on Wednesday is also expected to decide on the formal job posting, which will be used by a recruitment firm to aid in the search. The candidate is expected to have qualifications like five years of experience working in local government and a bachelor’s degree in public administration or a related field.
At the most recent meeting, the County Council discussed hiring a hands-on recruitment company that could work directly with staffers and the selection committee to learn what they’re seeking in a candidate. It’s estimated retaining such a firm could cost around $30,000.
Warnock previously said he had a list of companies that were ready to start working. He anticipated the hiring process would take three to four months and estimated an employment offer could be made by the end of October. A new county manager would likely start in November under that timeline.
But the county’s expensive housing market could delay the process.
Several recruitment firms advised offering a residence or housing allowance to attract qualified candidates, Warnock said. Elected officials did not indicate whether they would offer a stipend during the mid-July meeting, but they seemed receptive to the idea if someone from outside the county is hired.
Janna Young, the county’s deputy manager, will temporarily take over the helm until a successor to Fisher is brought on. Her appointment as interim county manager is effective July 30, which is one day after Fisher departs the County Courthouse.
Fisher leaves Summit County after seven years for Frisco, Colorado, where he’ll serve as the town manager. Fisher previously worked in the state as the Mesa County administrator before taking on his current role.