Sumner County mayor pauses Sumter Consulting recruitment to vet local finance candidate

The Sumner County mayor proposed pausing the county's recruitment contract with Sumter Consulting so the county can vet a locally referred candidate for the finance director post.

"What I propose ... is just take a 2 week pause, 2 2 and a half week pause on executing the contract with Sumter, and then let's just vet this candidate," the mayor said, asking that the candidate receive a background check and meet with the finance department, county commissioners, constitutional officers and department heads.

Committee members discussed logistics and holiday scheduling; several members endorsed a short pause to allow more diligence without committing the county to hire the candidate. Speaker 4 moved to pause the contract and proceed with vetting; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The mayor said he will coordinate interviews and deliver background-check results "through legal" to ensure proper handling.

Legal counsel reminded members that if scheduling results in more than one commissioner meeting outside a posted meeting, public‑meeting notice requirements apply. The law director also said that, absent an executed contract or purchase order, the county typically can withdraw from an award but noted prior votes to pursue a purchase order complicate the procurement posture.

Next steps: the mayor will arrange meetings and a background check; the topic will be revisited at the committee's next meeting and the committee will decide whether to proceed with Sumter Consulting or the local candidate.

The committee approved the pause and agreed to return the matter to the next meeting for a final decision.