Sylva commissioners named current Sylva Partners in Renewal (SPIR) Executive Director Richard McHargue as the town’s first-ever town manager at their regular meeting Jan. 3.

McHargue’s selection comes eight months after commissioners unanimously approved a resolution changing Sylva’s form of government from mayor-council to council-manager.

Interviews for the job were concluded in November 2001, but commissioners decided to wait until new board members Danny Allen and Eldridge Painter were installed before voting on the position. Painter and Allen had sat in on the November interviews.

McHargue’s selection to the $40,000 per year job was unanimous, but Commissioner Allen abstained. Sylva Mayor Brenda Oliver told Allen that an abstention would be recorded as a “yes” vote and asked Allen if he would like to vote. Allen said he preferred to abstain.

Allen refused to comment on his abstention, saying it was a complicated issue which he would rather not discuss. He said he would work closely with the new town manager in the best interests of the community.

Commissioner Audrey Tritt, who made the motion McHargue be hired, said the decision was difficult. She noted there were 30 applicants of which six were interviewed. Three were selected for second interviews. According to Tritt, qualifications of the three finalists were so close the board could have “drawn straws” and selected a competent town manager.

New commissioner Painter concurred with Tritt. He said that in his years of community service as a county commissioner, chairman of the board at the hospital and now as a town commissioner, McHargue’s selection was one of the toughest decisions he had ever made.

“If this town is going to make progress, we need a manager. He’s [McHargue] got a job to do and a lot of proving to do to the people of this town,” Painter said.

“I am thrilled and honored that the board has confidence in my abilities to do a good job for all the citizens of Sylva,” McHargue said.

McHargue was appointed executive director of SPIR Sept. 1, 2000. As SPIR’s fourth director since its inception in 1993, he is aware of the “revolving-door” image of that position, but he is confident SPIR is in good hands. SPIR has a strong board who fully supported this move, he said.

McHargue will start work Jan. 14. He pledged his office would be “open and responsive.” He said he envisioned the council-manager form of government as a collaborative effort. The new manager said he expected to get direction from the board and offer recommendations to them.

Oliver said there was no official job description, but the board expected the manager to operate under North Carolina Statues (G.S. 160A-148). The statues state, in part, “The manager shall be the chief administrator of the city. He shall be responsible to the council for administering all municipal affairs placed in his charge by them ...”

Asked how she felt about the board’s selection for town manager, Oliver, also a SPIR board member, said “I think he’s a keeper.”