01/11/2006: "Auditor To Serve as Temporary-Temporary Pro Tem"

In an earlier action related to the hiring of the Administrator Pro Tem (story below), the Council appointed Auditor Si Stephens as an "temporary-temporary" Administrator, to serve until the a new Administrator Pro Tem can come on board. Because nether of the two candidates could have started work for sometime, someone was needed to serve in the position, as the Charter had removed most of the administrative powers from the County Council, and made them the responsibility of an Administrator.

Councilman Ranker suggested that since Si was the Auditor, and the main job of the temporary pro tem was to sign checks and contracts, Si was the natural person to assume the job. The decision was made to appoint Si to the position, and to offer him an additional $1,000.00 a month to do the extra work that would be involved, but Chairman Lichter asked if $1,000.00 a month was "insulting", and after a moment of thought, Ranker said he did not think that it was, but that he had no "desire to go' toe-to-toe' with Si over this". There was some further discussion, and in the end it was decided to move forward and appoint Si as an interim-administrator pro tem, and offer him $1000.00 a month compensation for the position

Si was not present for the discussion, but in an interview with The Guardian he said that he and Council would work out the details and the compensation for the position.