Shortly before the election of the new council, the Wave reported candidate's answers to the question, "What is the single most pressing issue to Wasatch County today?" The responses overwhelmingly mentioned growth as the number one item, selection of the county manager second and citizen government communications as third.

The new Council was elected two months ago and have, I understand, held several meetings. It appears that little has been done to begin the selection and hiring process. I, for one, in the spirit of good communications, would like to see a report of the proceedings and discussion of those meetings.

As a reminder, and hopefully as assistance, here are some excerpts from those comments in the Wave:

Wayne Hardman: "The hiring of a county manager will be the first and foremost issue to be undertaken by the new council. This is instrumental to how smoothly the council will function, and must be done with great care, This person will need to have skills in management, education and communication. I would like to see someone in this position with prior field experience. Someone who isn’t afraid of getting their hands dirty. This person is not running the county, but will be accountable to the county council."

Jay Price: "The new county manager will also be a key in this process (managing growth while protecting rights). By working together with this essential individual, the success of this form of government will be greatly enhanced."

Annie McMullen: . . . "(The Council’s) finding and hiring the county manager is key to success of our new form of government. Once that manager is hired, I recommend that clear goals and expectations be outlined for the new manager, a system of checks and balances be put in placed to ensure the manager stays on track in the best interest of the county, and performance reviews are scheduled to evaluate their job fulfillment."

Ramona Memmott: "On of the first things the new council will be responsible for is the selection of the new county manager. . . . As soon as the election is completed the new council will need to start the selection process. The council will need to develop selection criteria, do an extensive job search to select the most qualified candidate. In addition the council will need to establish the goals and objects that will be required of the new manager and the process of how the new manager will be evaluated against those goals and objectives."

George Holmes: "The first step that the new council must take is to decide who will fill the role of the county manager. . . . The manager must follow the direction of the council, and not act on his/her own. The people of Wasatch County voted for a seven-member council, not a one person dictator. Clear communication between citizens, county council and county manager, is one of my goals and will move our county along in the right direction."

Steve Farrell: "The hiring of a qualified county administrator will ensure this success. The administrator must have the education, experience and people skills to be the chief administrator of the county. This individual must be a coordinator as well as a team player and not a micro manager. Both the council and the administrator must work to blend the needs of the long-time and new residents."

Ronda Rose: "It is vital that this first council set up specifics of the administrative and legislative code to govern the balance of power between the council and manager. . . . It is also imperative there be a wise and judicious selection of the county manager."

These are the requirements set by the Optional Plan:

Section 3.01. The County Manager

1. The chief executive officer of Wasatch County shall be the County Manager, who shall be evaluated for the position and appointed by at least a two-thirds majority (5 members) vote of the County Council.

2. He shall meet the minimum qualifications for the office of County Manager consisting of a Bachelors degree in Public Administration, Business Management, Law, or a related field, have a Minimum of five (5) years of experience working at a management level in business or government. The successful candidate must be willing to live within a one hour drive from Wasatch County offices by the end of their first six months of employment.