It was unanimous. All the Humboldt County commissioners think the person who replaces Bill Deist as county administrator should be offered a salary commensurate with that earned by City Manager/Engineer Steve West. There was agreement with Commissioner Jim French's comment, "It's hard to offer less than what the city manager is making; to me that was telling."
The commissioners were provided with a salary survey showing the salary ranges for other cities and counties believed to be comparative to Humboldt County's size and situation. It ranged from Storey County's low range of $101,254-$137,999 to a high of $135,000-180,000 in Douglas County. Humboldt County's former range was $104,000-135,000.
"From a competitive standpoint you're either competitive or you're not and right now we're on the bottom end of that range," said French.
Deist commented that, although his salary had risen significantly in the 15 years he worked as administrator, when he was hired he was offered $65,000.
Commissioner Dan Cassinelli quipped that with his father (Bob Cassinelli) and Buster Dufurrena on the commission he was lucky to have been offered that much.
Jeannie Green, from the HR department of the state insurance pool, is heading the recruitment effort. The commissioners noted they are pleased with her work and glad they decided to have the insurance pool's HR department handle recruitment, at no charge except for reimbursement of costs incurred, rather than paying up to $30,000 to have a recruitment firm handle the job.
Commissioners asked Green and her staff to go through the job applications as they're received to do reference checks and screening to choose the final five to eight applicants who will travel to Winnemucca to be interviewed by the commissioners.
There was a little discussion about a car allowance. Douglas County's previous manager/administrator (the terms are interchangeable according to Green) received a car allowance of $700 a month, but the commissioners determined that the county has a vehicle the administrator can use and it's sufficient.
The new administrator will be offered a contract. That's something else that has changed over the last decade or so. No contract used to be the norm, but newer-hired manager/administrators have all been given a contract, said Green.
The ideal candidate profile includes:
• Experience in public sector administration including policy development, intergovernmental relations, governmental budgeting and accounting, and labor relations. A highly qualified candidate will have experience dealing with land and water issues in the western U.S.
• The ability to lead with integrity and unquestionable ethics supported by a successful career history.
• The commitment to promote access, openness and responsiveness, personally setting the example throughout the organization and community.
• A track record of building relationships within and outside the organization, promoting effective and positive intergovernmental relations.
Being a team-builder who can set clear expectations for staff and develop an atmosphere of trust and support.
Being a leader, coach and mentor with a track record of delivering results, building accountability for staff, and creating a positive work environment.
Minimum requirements will include a bachelor's degree in business or public administration and at least five years of managerial administrative experience, including management of staff and programs. Preference will be for a master's degree in business administration, political science, public administration, law, accounting, or a closely related field.
Green will have the finalist recommendations completed by October 30, and the names of finalists will become public at that time. The commissioners will hold the local interviews, which are scheduled for November 10. The new commissioner elected to the open seat on the commission will have the opportunity to take part in the interview and hiring decisions.[[In-content Ad]]
