Bob Shiles
Staff writer
LUMBERTON — The search for a permanent Robeson County assistant manager appears to be on pause.
Although the position was advertised in October and a number of applications have been received, there has been no hurry to fill it.
County Manager Ricky Harris, who is responsible for reviewing the applications and recommending candidates to the county commissioners, said early last week that he has been “busy” with other issues and has not yet studied the applications. He said it will be after the holidays before that is done.
Harris said he didn’t know exactly how many applications have been received, but told The Robesonian it was “over 20.”
The position to be filled is one that Charles Britt, the county’s fire marshal and director of Emergency Services, has held on an interim basis since former Assistant County Manager Rod Jenkins left in June 2011 to become deputy director of Human Services for the Cumberland County Health Department. Britt has acknowledged that he has applied for the job.
The county in the past has employed two assistant managers, but there has been only one since Harris became the county’s interim manager when former Manager Ken Windley left the position in November 2010. Harris was named permanent county manager in June.
It’s unclear if the county will return to having two assistant managers. When Windley was manager, Harris and Jenkins were assistant managers. Harris said in early October that it will be up to the county commissioners to decide if there will be a second assistant manager.
According to the advertisement for the job, the annual salary is $79,424. All applicants must apply online at robesoncountycareers.com or www.co.robeson.nc.us.
County Attorney Hal Kinlaw said last week that he didn’t want to release the exact number of applicants because he considered it a personnel matter.
“It’s our policy not to put out the number of applications received until no more applications are being accepted,” Kinlaw said. “We do this so that no one is discouraged from applying for a position because there have been a large number of applicants.”
Among requirements for the job is graduation from a four-year college or university, with five to seven years of “increasingly responsible experience in administration and management in the public or private sector with knowledge of personnel practices or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required skills, knowledge and abilities …”
A master’s degree, which has been required in previous searches for assistant managers, is not required.
The county manager should take his time and give the matter proper consideration.
However, I do not believe that our current county manager has the experience or the knowledge to do what is in the best interest of our county. Nothing personal against Mr. Harris but the Commissioners put him in over his head! This was a disservice to Mr. Harris and to the people of Robeson County.
We are paying a salary that would attract a much more experienced and knowledgeable candidate.