Members of the Carter County Financial Management Committee discussed upcoming interviews for the vacant finance director position and got an update on some things going on across the county during their meeting on Wednesday.
A total of 28 individuals applied for the finance director position and committee members previously whittled the applicants down to eight potential candidates who will now go through an interview process with the committee.
“I was able to contact each of the applicants and schedule the interviews,” committee member Bobbie Gouge-Dietz reported to the group.
Interviews will be conducted from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Monday Sept. 14 and on Thursday, Sept. 17. The committee will interview four applicants on each day and Gouge-Dietz said she said aside a one-hour block of time for each applicant’s interview.
Being interviewed by such a large group of people can be an intimidating experience for applicants, Committee Chairman Ray Lyons said. “I hope to make this as easy as we can for the applicants,” he added.
But, when the applicants come in to speak with the panel, they may find more than just the committee giving them a look.
“I have consulted with our county attorney, and he consulted with Nashville, and those meetings will be sunshined and open to the public,” Lyons said of the applicant interviews.
In similar news, County Mayor Leon Humphrey reported to the committee that applications have been received to fill the vacant Veterans Services Officer position and members of the County Commission will vote on that appointment during the group’s meeting on Sept. 21.
Humphrey also updated the group on a couple of buildings and grounds projects currently underway in the county.
Sealing and striping of the parking lot at the new Election Commission office at the corner of Holston Avenue and East G Street should be completed in the coming weeks, Humphrey said. Also, the project to repair several windows at the courthouse, specifically those on the third floor in the oldest part of the building, is progressing and hopefully can be completed in the coming months, he said.
Interim Finance Director Christa Byrd reported to the group that lagging of county payroll will be completed this Friday when payroll is issued. Earlier this year, the County Commission approved a plan to implement payroll lagging by delaying payday by one day each pay period over a span of 10 weeks until a one week lag in pay was created.
Previously, payroll for the majority of county employees was not lagged, meaning that time sheets had to be turned in showing hours that had not yet been worked so that payroll could be processed in time for employees to receive their pay on Fridays.
“It has gone smoothly and we’ve had very few complaints,” Byrd said.
Committee member Charles VonCannon informed the committee of a new business — Crossfit Kolóna — which will be opening this weekend in the Bemberg Center, which is owned by VonCannon.
“Industrial recruitment is not dead in Carter County,” VonCannon said. “The people that recruit industries in this county are going about it butt-backwards. The small ones are the ones you want to go after because they are the ones that are going to grow.”
“I had one that started out with one-and-a-half people and now they are up to 22,” he added.