NEWTON COUNTY – Newton County Government has officially begun the process of hiring a new county manager.
Since the county’s board of commissioners voted to “disengage” with former county manager Harold Cooper after he was arrested for driving under the influence, Water Resources Director James Brown has operated in the interim.
But it appears that the county’s time with an interim manager is nearing its end, as the role was posted to the online Newton County Government job bank on June 10.
“James [Brown] is still the acting county manager, and he’s been doing a great job,” said Bryan Fazio, the public information officer for Newton County. “It’s just our legislation calls for a county manager, and James is acting.”
Based on the job posting, applicants are required to have an educational level of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. However, this can be supplemented by ten years of “progressively responsible experience in management” or “any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.”
Applicants are also required to possess and maintain a valid Georgia driver’s license and must submit a three-year motor vehicle report with their application.
Early stages of the application process are facilitated by the county’s human resources department, but Fazio said the later round interviews with three final candidates take place before a “committee interview panel.”
It is not clear as of press time who will sit on this panel. However, past panels have included the chairman of the board of commissioners and the county attorney.
A final applicant will be selected through a majority vote by the board of commissioners.
The job posting notes that a minimum salary offering would be $180,000. This is a significant increase from the salary of the previous county manager, whose contract stipulated a salary of $150,000.
The previous county manager’s contract was for two years. It is not immediately clear what the length of the next county manager’s contract would be, but Fazio said it would likely be determined by the board of commissioners and human resources during negotiations.
The job posting is set to close on July 8, but Fazio said that the county does not have a set date in mind to bring final candidates before the board.
“We want to find the best person and the best fit for Newton County,” Fazio said.
Managing Editor Evan Newton contributed to this report.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
