by Leah Justice
leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

Polk County has new leadership with a newly sworn in board of commissioners after appointing commissioner Tom Pack as chairman.

Pack was appointed the new chair of the board with commissioner Keith Holbert appointed vice-chair.

Commissioners met Monday, Dec. 1 and said goodbye to former chairman Ted Owens and swore in re-elected commissioners Ray Gasperson and Holbert and newly elected commissioner Shane Bradley. Gasperson was high vote-getter in the November election with Bradley second and Holbert third. Gasperson and Bradley won four-year terms with Holbert gaining a two-year term. Gasperson remains the sole democrat on the new board, while Pack, Holbert, Michael Gage and Bradley are republicans.

The commissioner meeting also included the swearing in of re-elected Polk County Sheriff Donald Hill (D) and re-elected Polk County Clerk of Superior Court Pam Hyder (D).

Prior to the swearing in ceremonies, the former board of commissioners entered closed session to discuss personnel and returned to hire Marche Pittman as permanent county manager by a 4-1 vote. Pittman has been the interim county manager since December 2012.

Pittman was granted a contract that includes an annual salary of $84,097.

Gasperson voted against the hiring of Pittman, saying he was not prepared to vote on the contract. Gasperson said he has informed Pittman of his views and it’s nothing personal, as he likes Pittman. Gasperson said the board was just minutes away from swearing in new commissioner Bradley and he thought Bradley should have been a part of the decision.

Gasperson also voiced his concerns about Pittman’s contract, particularly the severance package. Gasperson said the severance should have started out as one-to-three months severance, and instead the severance package is more like eight months pay.

Gage said Pittman has been working for the board for two years and has dealt with issues most managers don’t have to deal with.

“If we don’t get him in here and keep him here someone else is going to scoop him up,” Gage said.

Owens said Gasperson is right, a severance package should start out at three months, but Pittman has already worked two years. The contract also includes, Owens said, that the severance pay won’t exceed 12 months.

Owens also said former county manager Ryan Whitson’s severance package was the same as Pittman’s. Gasperson said he would have looked more favorably on Pittman’s contract if it had started the same as Whitson’s contract at three months severance then gaining a month for every year he worked for the county.

Pittman’s contract includes that if he is terminated without cause, he will be paid in lump sum six month’s salary, which will increase by one month to a maximum of 12 months for each additional year of service beginning on Pittman’s original hire date of Dec. 12, 2012.

The county will also provide Pittman with 120 days of family health insurance from the date of termination followed by the option to purchase coverage at the employer’s rate.

Pittman was appointed interim county manager following the 2012 election to fill in for former county manager Whitson, who was called to active duty with the U.S. Army Reserves. Whitson was scheduled to return to the county on March 10, 2014, but prior to his return Whitson accepted a pay-off from the majority of commissioners for his contract severance of $178,590. Whitson worked for Polk County for approximately seven years, having been hired in 2007.

The new board on Monday also re-appointed Beth Fehrmann as clerk to the board and Jana Berg as county attorney.

Commissioners thanked Owens for his service to the county and presented him a plaque. Owens gave an outgoing speech (see Owens’ speech in Friday’s Bulletin). Owens served as Polk County Commissioner from 1983-1988, from 2004-2008 and from 2010-2014. He is also a former Town of Columbus mayor.