The Leon County Commissioners will vote on adopting a new policy for recruiting the County Administrator and County Attorney at their June 16 meeting.
The County Commissioners are responsible for selecting a County Administrator and a County Attorney under the Leon County Home Rule Charter and the Leon County Code of Laws, but the recruitment process for the positions is not specified.
Staff reports that the Board has made only three hires for either position in the last 30 years. The Board appointed Herbert W.A. Thiele as County Attorney in 1990, Vincent S. Long as County Administrator in 2011, and Chasity O’Steen as County Attorney in 2019.
At the July 9, 2019 County Commission meeting, the Commissioners directed staff to prepare a policy revision for future recruiting. Staff reports that the proposed policy would require future recruitments to be open to both internal and external candidates.
According to the meeting agenda, staff could not identify another local government with a policy requiring a public search for either position.
Staff reports that a policy requiring a formal external search would remove a local government’s flexibility to recruit in a manner that best fits its needs.
“It is not always clear whether an existing employee or an external candidate may be the best fit, and a prescriptive policy requiring a formal external search would remove a local elected body’s discretion to determine whether an internal candidate meets the criteria to succeed in the position,” staff reports.
If the County does not adopt the policy, it could still have the flexibility to appoint an internal candidate or conduct a formal external search if it chooses, staff reports.
County Commissioners to Vote on Policy Change for Recruiting County Administrator and County Attorney added by Lexie Pitzen on
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The commissioners want staff they can control, not strangers who may be more qualified. Just like with the city, the term “ best fits its needs” is politicalgab that means “best fits my political needs.” When a Commissioner wants something from the county administrator, he doesn’t want any back talk about professional standards, or ethical considerations. When a commissioner wants a certain legal interpretation, the county attorney knows It.