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New Castle County panel approves hiring of legal assistant after internal search
Summary
The New Castle County Personnel Subcommittee approved hiring Rachel Zara as legal assistant to the council counsel after a two-week internal posting produced one applicant; the panel recommended pay grade 27, step 7. One council member later said his 'no' vote reflected history of the position, not the candidate.
The New Castle County Personnel Subcommittee on Aug. 26 approved hiring Rachel Zara as legal assistant to the council counsel following an internal two-week posting that produced one applicant.
Mike Migliore, counsel to the council, told the subcommittee the applicant pool produced a single candidate, Rachel Zara, who was interviewed by a three-person panel comprised of the Clerk of Council, Councilwoman George and Migliore. "She's an excellent candidate who has experience across the board, in legislative drafting, policy work, drafting legal memos," Migliore said, and the panel voted unanimously to recommend hiring her at pay grade 27, step 7. Migliore said Zara is currently at pay grade 25, step 7 and that the recommended grade represents a lateral move consistent with recent historical approvals for similar positions.
The subcommittee approved the hiring recommendation by voice vote after a motion and a second. Several council members spoke in support of the candidate, praising her diligence and years of service supporting multiple council offices. One council member who opposed the motion later clarified his opposition: he said the "no" vote stemmed from a long-running issue and a "fundamental unfairness" in the history of the position and stressed the objection was not about the candidate herself.
The chair and counsel emphasized that the new hire will continue to serve council operations and expand counsel's staffing capacity. Migliore noted that the internal posting process lasted two weeks and produced the single applicant; the clerk, Councilwoman George and Migliore formed the interview panel that recommended the hire.
The subcommittee also approved the July 22 minutes earlier in the meeting. There was no online public comment and the committee adjourned following the hiring vote.
The subcommittee did not record a roll-call vote tally for the hiring motion in the transcript; members expressed their positions by voice and one member later stated he had voted "no." The hiring takes effect as approved by the Personnel Subcommittee; any administrative onboarding steps were not specified in the transcript.
