Commissioners question advertising and timeline for Administrator of Elections hire; interviews scheduled for Sept. 12

Commissioners raised concerns about the recruitment timeline for the Administrator of Elections position, saying the county posting window was too short and occurred during a period when many potential applicants were on vacation. Several commissioners requested extending the advertising period to attract a larger pool for this high-responsibility role.

Commissioner comments said Metro HR had posted the job for roughly two weeks, a period some commissioners called “inopportune” because it came at the end of summer and overlapped with a long holiday weekend. Commissioners cited common hiring practice benchmarks — 15 to 30 days for postings and longer for management posts — and recalled recent Metro hires that took several months to fill. Commissioners urged the commission to consider widening outreach and extending the application window if the commission chooses to do so.

Administrator Jeff Roberts told the commission staff had reviewed 45 applicants and recommended three for interviews. The commission has noticed a meeting on Sept. 12; commissioners discussed whether that meeting should proceed with candidate interviews or be used instead to consider a motion to reopen and extend the posting period. Roberts said staff would invite the recommended candidates if the commission proceeds with interviews; if commissioners want to change the process they must place an agenda item for a public meeting to take such action.

Legal counsel reminded commissioners that any decision to change hiring procedure should be made in an open meeting, not by informal polling of members. Commissioners agreed a public agenda item is required to direct staff to reopen the posting. The commission voted to schedule the Sept. 12 meeting; staff will publish the agenda at least 48 hours before the meeting and will add items if commissioners submit them in time.