Douglas Commission looks to appoint retired Carson City Manager Larry Werner as interim county chief
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners approved moving forward with approaching Larry Werner, retired Carson City Manager and resident of Douglas County, as a possible Interim County Manager. The Interim County Manager will serve over the next several months during the recruitment process for a new County Manager.
The Board discussed several options for interim management at its meeting at Lake Tahoe on Thursday, March 20, 2014, including appointment of qualified individuals from within and outside the organization.
Commissioners complimented the leadership and work of current County staff, and expressed a desire to not disrupt progress on the Fiscal Year 2014-15 budget, construction and operation of the new Community and Senior Center, and main street revitalization efforts. Commissioners also expressed a desire to appoint an Interim County Manager who is not a candidate for the permanent position, thereby allowing qualified individuals within and outside of the organization to compete for the permanent position.
Werner served as the Carson City Manager for five years and was instrumental in developing several regional partnerships between Douglas County and Carson City, including public and environmental health, street light maintenance, regional water services and Geographic Information Services. Prior to serving as Carson City Manager, Werner served as Development Services Director/City Engineer for Carson City, as well as a Principal Engineer for Lumos and Associates, in Minden, NV. He also served as Douglas County’s Public Works Director in 1992-93.
Carson City operates very similar to Douglas County, with a five member Board of Supervisors, five elected offices including Sheriff, Treasurer, Assessor, Clerk/Recorder and District Attorney, and seven appointed departments including Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Health and Human Services, Parks and Recreation, Public Works and Fire. Carson City has 560 employees, a general fund operating budget of approximately $55,000,000 and a total budget of approximate $120,000,000.
“Larry has the skills and experience to serve as our interim manager, and will be a great fit to work with our Board, staff and community to continue positive progress over the next several months,” said Commissioner Doug Johnson, Chair of the Board of Commissioners.
Werner and his wife have roots in Douglas County that go back to the 1800’s. They have been residents of Douglas County since 1997.
“I would be honored to serve as Interim County Manager, and to help steer Douglas County on the course set by the Board of Commissioners, residents and staff. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Commissioners, senior staff and elected officials over the last several years, and I would be proud to serve as an integral part of the organization during this important transition period.”
An additional action item will be brought to the Board at a future meeting to formally appoint the Interim County Manager. At its meeting, the Board of Commissioners also approved moving forward with a competitive recruitment process to hire a permanent County Manager.
Douglas County Manager Steve Mokrohisky has accepted a position as County Administrator in Lane County, Oregon. His last day in the office is April 11, 2014.
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