Benton County Judge-elect wants personnel changes

BENTONVILLE -- Barry Moehring, county judge-elect for Benton County, has begun the transition process to his administration, asking justices of the peace to approve a number of changes to some top-level jobs.

Moehring met with the Personnel Committee on Monday to lay out the changes he plans, including new leadership for the Road Department, the Emergency Management Agency and the Information Technology department.

Moehring said the changes aren't a reflection of the job performance of any of the employees not being retained. Marshal Watson, administrator of emergency services, and Mike Dixon, emergency management director, aren't being retained in the Emergency Management Agency and Eddie Mahar isn't being retained as head of the IT Department. Jay Frasier, head of the Road Department, is being retained but Moehring plans to hire an engineer to oversee that department.

Moehring said he has looked at the organization and staffing of other counties and some cities in shaping the model he wants for Benton County. In emergency services for example, Moehring said a number of other counties have one person filling the duties now held by Watson and Dixon and he believes Benton County can find a candidate with those qualifications.

"I've been doing a fair amount of bench-marking," Moehring said. "Talking with people from other counties and from municipalities, looking at their organizations. I've also done a lot of thinking about this from the perspective of my four years on the Quorum Court. None of this is being done on the basis of an employee evaluation. It's just the leadership direction I wanted to take."

Watson, reached by phone after the meeting, declined to comment on the restructuring or his own status.

"I don't believe I have a comment," he said. "I simply wish the county well."

Moehring also asked the justices of the peace to consider increases in pay for Brenda Guenther, comptroller, and John Sudduth, general services administrator, citing additional responsibilities they will be taking on. He said the comptroller's office will also take oversight of the human resources office and Sudduth's office will be heavily involved in the courts building project. Moehring also asked Frasier's pay be increased to bring him up to the pay level of others who have held his job in the past.

The committee took no action on Moehring's requests Monday, since three of the six members were absent. Shirley Sandlin, justice of the peace for District 8 and head of the committee, set another meeting for 5:30 p.m. today, just before the Finance Committee meets at 6 p.m.

NW News on 12/06/2016

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