The Carter County Financial Management Committee unanimously selected an interim finance director, but it still faces the task of selecting one person out of 28 applicants to fill the position permanently.
“I’m honored that they would select me for the interim position,” said Christa Byrd, county deputy finance director.
Byrd will be tacking director duties on top of her current deputy finance director responsibilities when Ingrid Deloach vacates her position on Aug. 13. Deloach turned in her resignation as finance director on July 14.
“I hope we can make the transition from Ingrid (Deloach) to a new director, whoever that may be, as soon as possible,” Byrd said.
Byrd, who confirmed she has turned in her resume for the permanent position, sends well wishes out to the members of the committee who have such a crucial task to complete.
“Anything I can do to help the committee through the process, I’m glad to do it,” she said.
The process by which to select a permanent finance director dominated the committee’s discussion during its monthly meeting Wednesday morning.
“We are already way ahead by getting in these resumes,” Chairman Ray Lyons said.
After the committee rejected two that were not turned in by the proper procedure, there were a total of 28 resumes for the committee to review.
The cutoff for submitting applications via post office, website or email was Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Commissioner Danny Ward made the motion to not accept any applications that did not come in through the policy. It was supported unanimously by the committee.
“This motion will clear up any question about whether we followed exactly what we set up or not,” Lyons said.
Deloach presented a new piece of information that could affect the selection process to Lyons prior to the meeting.
“Evidently we have minutes that say that anyone who is to become the director and or deputy director of this finance department must live within Carter County,” Lyons said.
The motion, which was made during the Dec. 17, 2007 full commission meeting, also included a clause about giving the person selected to fill the position one year to move to Carter County.
“That motion passed and that motion stands,” Lyons said. “That is a parameter that we have to go by.”
The next step for the committee is to review all the applications and bring them back on Aug. 12 from 1-5 p.m.
“Some of these resumes will screen themselves out,” Lyons said. “Based on the requirements and especially this parameter we found this morning.”
Deloach asked for the committee to move the process along as quickly as possible.
“(Byrd) will be doing two jobs,” Deloach said. “I did that for several months. I just ask that you speed up the process. Don’t rush it by any means, but just keep in mind that she will be doing two jobs.”
In other news, Commissioner Charles VonCannon was concerned about the county’s ability to follow certain procedures required for meetings.
“For four and a half years, I have seen people jump up in the middle of a commission meeting and make a motion that wasn’t on the agenda,” VonCannon said. “It gives you no chance at all to research the motion. I think that’s wrong. I’m pretty sure it has to do with knowing that you’ve got the votes to pass it.”
Ward took some time to address the issue before it was referred to the Rules and Bylaws Committee.
“We approve agendas for all of our committee meetings,” Ward said. “We don’t approve agendas for the commission meetings. I don’t know when that stopped. Ever since I’ve been on the commission, we’ve never approved an agenda for the full-bodied commission.”
Carter County Mayor Leon Humphrey was unable to answer the board’s questions because he left the meeting early to tend to another obligation.