Schuyler will hire deputy county administrator

SCHUYLER COUNTY--The Schuyler County Legislature voted 6-2 Monday, Dec. 28 to create the position of a full-time deputy county administrator and to form a search committee to evaluate potential applicants. Originally the resolution for the creation of the position listed the salary between $70,000-$75,000 but was changed to list the salary as being commensurate with the experience of whoever is hired for the position.
County Administrator Tim O'Hearn specifically asked for the change to the resolution's salary, a move that the board approved. When it came to voting for the resolution, legislators James Howell and David Reed voted against the creation of the new position.
Along with approving the deputy county administrator position much of the meeting was spent discussing the creation of a search committee to find the best person to fill said position.
The resolution says the county administrator will be retiring from full time employment in March 2021.
"If you are going to be on the (search committee) you need to take the time to go through the resumes and make the phone calls... it's very time consuming," said Carl Blowers, chairman of the legislature.
Blowers said he believed he should sit on the committee, as he has the most experience.
"I have more experience hiring people, specifically for executive positions, than probably everyone here," Blowers said.
Legislator Michael Lausell also volunteered, reasoning that there should be a Democrat on the search committee. Legislators Mark Rondinaro and Phil Barnes are the other two legislators who will join the committee which will also consist of O'Hearn, the sheriff, the director of social services, the county human resources director and the highway superintendent.