County manager search continues

THOMSON -- McDuffie County's search for a new county manager continues.

Officials had hoped to find a replacement for outgoing manager Lamar Hamill within 30 days, but finding a replacement has taken a little longer than expected. Charlie Newton, chairman of the Board of Commissioners, says he hopes a decision will be made sooner rather than later.

"I've got approximately 20 resumes -- some good, some not so good," he said. "I've read over the resumes, and the other commissioners are reading over the resumes, and we'll weed them down in the next few weeks and then start interviews."

Newton says he hopes to find a replacement within four to six weeks. Until that time, Hamill will stay on as county manager.

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Although he's not sure if he'll help the commissioners with the interview process, Hamill is looking over their shoulders at the incoming applications. He said that some of the applications the county received "were everything from McDonald's (employees) to people making $150,000 a year."

He added that if commissioners determine that they're not happy with the applications, they can decide to advertise the position for a second time.

At the time of Hamill's resignation in late February, the commissioners had hoped to get a replacement fairly quickly. One of the reasons for the lengthened search may be that officials are working with a packed schedule of county projects, including getting the Thomson-McDuffie Regional Airport's new terminal ready on time, as well as making sure the new Boys and Girls Club is properly funded and on schedule for completion later this summer.

Hamill doesn't think it will be too hard for his replacement to jump in and start contributing right away.

"Some of the projects we're in the stages of closing," he said. "But the big one pending is a water and sewer project, and someone probably with a week and a half's orientation could do it. It shouldn't be all that difficult."

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