Valdese starting over in town manager search

The Valdese Town Council is preparing to start over in its search for a new town manager.

The council is expected to approve a contract with the Western Piedmont Council of Governments to coordinate the search at its regular February meeting, set for Monday at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.

Town attorney Tim Swanson is reviewing the contract for approval and the search will then be “kicked off,” according to Mayor Charlie Watts.

The town has been without a permanent town manager for more than 14 months and it now looks like that situation will continue into the summer.

Town Manager Seth Eckard was dismissed by the previous Valdese Town Council on Dec. 1, 2023, an action that occurred just before new council members Glenn Harvey, Gary Ogle, and Heather Ward took office.

The dismissal allowed Eckard to receive a “golden exit parachute” from the town, including his full vacation benefits.

Immediately upon taking office, the board’s new majority named Valdese resident Eddie Perrou, a retired industrial executive, to serve as interim town manager.

Perrou’s service lasted just over a month, as on Jan. 2, 2024, former Burke County manager Bryan Steen was named interim manager.

Steen served in the interim role until Aug. 23 of this year when Assistant Town Manager and Chief Financial Officer Bo Weichel was elevated to the interim manager’s role.

Weichel has also continued to serve as the town’s financial officer.

The council had at one point contracted with an executive search firm, Baker Tilly to coordinate a search, review resumes, and set up interviews.

Although WPCOG will execute this new search, the ultimate decision is up to the council. The Council of Governments has assisted in town manager searches many times, and has also helped find police chiefs, DSS directors, and city attorneys.

On Monday, Jan. 27, WPCOG Director Anthony Starr presented the council with an overview of its services during the February pre-agenda meeting. After a closed session, the council voted unanimously to finalize the contract.

“We would handle the process for you, but we’re not making decisions for you,” Starr stated. “We handle the logistics of collecting the applications, making the advertisements, talking to candidates about the position, and answering their questions.”

WPCOG also creates interview questions, runs background checks, and handles logistical matters. This allows the council to focus solely on selecting the town manager it wants.

Based on the council’s criteria, WPCOG staff will identify top applicants and screen them. Eight to 10 applicants will be selected with their applications handed to the council, with identified pros and cons.

Starr explained if the council started soon, interviews could start in April and May. By summertime, they would be in the final stages of selecting someone with a possible start date in late summer.

With advertising, the prices range from a state-wide search (around $125) to a full national search with various municipal organization websites ($1,800 to $2,100).

Their base fee is $3,500, however, this does not include drug tests, background checks, meals for applicants, and other costs. For reference, the town previously contracted with Baker Tilly, under a contract for $17,000.

“Frankly, it doesn’t cover all our costs…we view this as a service that we provide to our members. I think you’ll find that this is substantially less than most of the private sector searches,” Starr said.

SHORTAGE OF TALENT

Councilman Glenn Harvey noted that this search is a “two-way selling job” with the town trying to sell itself as an employer while the applicant is selling themselves. He asked Starr how he sees that as part of this process.

Starr explained that the WPCOG accents the positive aspects of the town and in the interviewing process, applicants feel they can trust WPCOG to give an honest assessment.

“I will tell you that, just like every other employment sector, there is a shortage of talent,” Starr said. “There are fewer applicants applying for these positions than in previous years. The type of applicant you would have gotten 10 years ago would be different than the one you will get now because the applicant pool has changed.”

Councilman Gary Ogle said in his research, he found that there are 68 North Carolina towns looking for a town manager.