When quitting time came last Friday for Jay Denton, he walked out of his Jackson County office and into political history as North Carolina’s last full-time elected county manager.

Earlier in the day, Jackson County commissioners had voted 3-2 to hire Ken Westmoreland as county manager. Westmoreland is currently executive director of the Greater Greer Development Corporation, a nonprofit corporation that acts as an economic development commission for that region. He has held several county and municipal government posts in South Carolina, including 10 years as city administrator for the town of Greer.

Denton and Franz Whitmire voted against hiring Westmoreland.

“This is not so much against the individual, but I feel Jackson County’s citizens would be better served by someone who Jackson County better,” said Denton.

Westmoreland will be paid $78,234. Until Westmoreland starts Aug. 1, Commissioner Stacy Buchanan will serve as interim county manager. He will be paid an hourly rate based on Denton’s salary, which comes to about $24.62 an hour. He will not work full time but as needed, said Buchanan.

“I was asked by individuals in our meeting if I would do it,” said Buchanan, referring to the closed session commissioners held prior to announcing the hiring of Westmoreland. “We felt we needed someone already abreast of the what’s going on, that it would be unfair to bring someone in from outside the loop.”

Buchanan said department heads were too busy to take the post and that it was convenient for him because he is a 10-month school employee and is off the entire month of July.

The vote to hire Buchanan was 4-1 with Denton opposing.

The decision to hire a county manager followed the results of a November 2000 referendum on the issue in which voters supported the measure by a 3-2 margin. After that nonbinding referendum, commissioners passed a resolution to adopt the county manager form of government Jan. 1, 2001. That is when the job search for a manager began.

Denton, in his closing statement, said he asked commissioners in January to let him serve out his term as manager since that was what Jackson County voters had elected him to do. The resolution, adopted Nov. 29, 2000, however, read “the chairman ... has agreed t o continue serving as county manager until June 30, 2001.”

“The board never requested that I remain as county manager past the June 30, 2001, deadline,” Denton wrote in his statement. “With my deepest regrets to the citizens of Jackson County that have supported me, I will leave my position as county manager.” Denton went on to list his achievements as manager, which included the implementation of a $32.4 million capital improvement plan.

Jackson County was the last in the state to retain the elected county manager style of government. To the end, Denton and others believe it better serves the citizenry.

“... I still believe that the elected Chairman-Manager position is a superior form of government for the people of Jackson County,” said Denton in his statement.

In a Monday interview, Denton reiterated his continued support for the elected county manager form of government.

“It put me in bette contact with the people, made me more fiscally responsible manager,” Denton said.

As for his own future, Denton is still unsure what he’ll do. He was a biology teacher in the public school system before winning in his first try for elected office.

“This will be the first time in two and a half years that I won’t be working for the county,” he said.
“The job engulfed me, so now it will take some time to disengage before I can figure out what is next.”

 

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