Kim Crisp has been named the interim Graham County Manager.
Robbinsville – The Town of Robbinsville and Graham County government are experiencing the same problem at the same time – they are looking to fill vacancies in critical staff positions.
For Graham County, it is looking to find a new county manager, after the Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 earlier this month to oust previous county manager Jason Marino, who is staying on as the county’s project manager.
For the Town of Robbinsville, it is looking to replace its entire office staff: finance director, previously occupied by Sonya Webster – who was ousted by the Board of Aldermen in July – and deputy clerk Shari Birchfield, who announced her retirement, effective late-January. Birchfield has been doing double duty, filling in as finance director.
County commissioners on Dec. 13 voted to name Kim Crisp interim county manager, a position for which she is well qualified.
Crisp has worked two stints for the county, totaling almost 25 years. Over that time, she has run the elections board and been assistant to the county manager, assistant county manager, clerk to the board of commissioners, and the county’s human resources officer.
Crisp was making $58,294 a year as county clerk. She will be making the equivalent of $90,000 a year during her time as interim county manager. One of her first tasks as interim county manager will be to advertise for her a permanent county manager.
Meanwhile, in Robbinsville, the board of aldermen met on Monday in closed session, after which the board announced it was once again offering the job of finance officer to Annette Carver.
The board offered the job to Carver in early October, but she declined.
This time, she accepted. The job pays a starting wage of $19 per hour.
Carver has been keeping the books at the Robbinsville Ace Hardware, and earlier was an administrative assistant for the Graham County Sheriff’s Office and an assistant for county Finance Officer Becky Garland. She reconsidered the offer, town alderman said Monday. Her start date will be determined once she completes pre-employment screening.
Meanwhile, the board of aldermen will hold a special called meeting today at 10 a.m., to go over three applications the town received for a replacement for Birchfield. The town has received three applications for that job.
The town is under the gun to have new people on board before Birchfield’s last day on Jan. 27, so that Birchfield can familiarize them with their new jobs.