Churchill County appoints interim county manager and directs outside search firm

The Churchill County Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed Assistant County Manager Joe Sanford as interim county manager and directed the District Attorney's Office to solicit proposals from outside executive‑recruiting firms for a permanent county manager search.

The action, taken after extended discussion about transparency and legal risk in the prior recruitment, sets Sanford’s interim term for up to 120 days at his current salary and tasks the DA’s office with obtaining bids and plans from recruitment firms. Commissioners also agreed that two commissioners — Commissioner Gatto and the vice chair — will be available to sit in on significant transition meetings if necessary.

Why it matters: The board framed the decision as an attempt to avoid repeating past mistakes in the county manager hiring process and to preserve continuity of operations while using an outside firm to confidentially screen candidates. Public comment earlier in the meeting raised concerns that a prior county manager hiring process had violated Nevada’s open‑meeting laws; the board separately acknowledged receipt of Attorney General findings and authorized the DA to submit a response.

County counsel and commissioners described three principal options considered: appointing an interim from inside county staff, opening a public application process, or hiring a third‑party recruiter to manage confidential recruitment. Commissioners said an outside firm could protect applicant privacy and avoid procedural pitfalls that produced controversy in the prior search.

Sanford confirmed he would serve on a temporary basis and said accepting an interim assignment «is satisfactory» for the 120‑day window discussed. Commissioners formally moved, seconded, and voted to (1) appoint Sanford as interim county manager, (2) direct the District Attorney's Office to solicit bids from outside recruiting firms, and (3) keep Sanford's salary unchanged for the initial 120‑day period. The motion carried with all votes recorded as "aye."

Next steps: The DA’s office will obtain proposals from recruitment firms and return findings to the board. The board also authorized the DA to prepare a written response to the Attorney General’s findings related to an earlier hiring complaint; that response must be submitted within the statutory timeline.