By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

Applications for county manager continue to flow into the Columbus County personnel office.

Fourteen candidates have applied for the position of county manager. Details about those candidates remain confidential as the county will continue to interview applicants in closed sessions on Oct. 15. One applicant was interviewed in closed session at the Oct. 1 commissioners meeting.

That same night, the county appointed interim finance director Leo Hunt interim county manager. It was an unexpected move that came just days before the Oct. 4 expiration date of county manager Jim Varner’s contract.

The board had voted months earlier not to renew Varner’s contract but he had said he would stay with the county on a month-to-month basis until a replacement could be found.

On Oct. 1, a firm that specializes in consulting and manager searches, approached the board about possibly handling or facilitating the search for the county. The board has taken that under advisement but not voted whether to hire the firm or not. (See related story.)

According to the job posting online at columbusco.org the requirements of the manager position include a masters degree in public administration, business administration or a related field and 10 years of upper level supervisory experience in government or related work experience.

The manager serves at the will of the seven-member board of commissioners. Varner’s salary was $80,000 per year plus travel and certain benefits. No salary range for a new manager has been discussed in open session and no range is published in advertisements for the position.