The selection process for a new county administrator to take the helm in Patrick County will be discussed at the Jan. 27 meeting of the Patrick County Board of Supervisors.
“We’re going to let Geri be an interim. She was designated as such, and we will start the process of discussing” a path forward at the final meeting in January, Clyde DeLoach, of the Blue Ridge District, said.
DeLoach made the motion on Jan. 6 to not renew the county’s employment contract with now former county administrator Tom Rose. The motion garnered a majority vote and was effective immediately.
Geri Hazelwood, assistant county administrator, will receive a stiped of $1,500 per pay period to fill in the interim county administrator, officials said.
Noting that Jane Fulk, board chairman and Crystal Harris, vice chairman, both serve on the Personnel Committee, DeLoach said it is his hope that the board agrees to advertise the position within the county government first, “and then on a larger scale. I anticipate we will look at it more on the 27th and” iron out more details,” he added.
“The precedent is that the personnel committee selects the best candidates from the pool of applicants, and then those candidates are reviewed by the entire board. That’s how it’s usually done,” she said , and added that filling the slot “will be a board decision. It’s not just a Crystal and Jane decision.”
Setting the wheels in motion to fill the post is something that “we will discuss, hopefully soon,” she added.
Clayton Kendrick, of the Mayo River District, said the board will determine a strategy at the Jan. 27 meeting, as did Denise Stirewalt, of the Peters Creek District.
“I can’t really discuss anything at this point,” she said. “There are things that need to start taking place to move the county forward. I just look forward to serving the people of the county and look forward to making the county better, better, better.”
“We will discuss how to proceed at our next meeting,” Crystal Harris, of the Smith River District.