INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Indian River County Board of Commissioners has decided to look within before casting its net wider while seeking a replacement for retiring County Administrator Joe Baird.
Baird’s last day is expected to be June 30, 2016.
“You get what you pay for,” Commissioner Joe Flescher said during the discussion of how the Commission should conduct the search. He said that while they might get the best candidates if they were to retain a search firm, he’d rather the Commission advertise the job opening internally, first.
Advertising the post to current County staff would minimize the cost estimate and could – if a qualified candidate were to step forward – save time.
Hiring a search firm, by comparison, has an estimated price tag between $14,750 and $23,250, not including the cost of hosting out-of-area candidates. The search firm option, too, could take as much as five months to fully execute.
Flescher’s move to advertise internally was supported by three other commissioners.
Commission Chair Wesley Davis said he would prefer the County hire a search firm. He did not elaborate on his reasons.
Flescher reminded the Commission that, in the event no viable candidate rises to the application, the Commission could entertain other options, including hiring a search firm if need be.
