Anson County has been without a county manager for nearly 10 months, leaving many residents wondering what is taking so long.
Since former County Manager Lawrence Gatewood resigned Jan. 1, Commission Chair Anna Baucom has served as interim county manager. She said she’s aware of the impatience many county residents are feeling.
Believe it or not, she said, the commissioners are also anxious to find a new county manager. “I know people think it’s because we’re making extra money [by not paying a manager],” she said. “Truthfully, the pickings are kind of slim.”
The position was advertised in advance of Gatewood’s resignation and only five applications were received by the spring, Baucom said. “We spent a lot of time with the applications we had the first go-round and were basically stunned that we couldn’t choose one of those.”
Baucom added that there were several candidates who were qualified, but had recently been fired, which threw up red flags.
“We’re not looking for a perfect person,” she said. “We want someone who’s adequate.”
One of the stipulations the commissioners decided on was that the county manager should live in Anson County. Some are willing to commute from neighboring counties, Baucom said, but she feels strongly the person should relocate here.
The commissioners decided in August to advertise the position again, with a deadline of Sept. 15. County Clerk Bonnie Huntley said the position was advertised nationwide, including with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, the National Association of Counties (NACo) and on a city and county manager ListServ.
Huntley said she sent the latest applications on to Baucom last week. Baucom said she will assimilate the information to the other commissioners and begin to set up interviews within the next week or two.