When Clark County named Bob Stevens its new director of General Services earlier this month, it marked a subtle shift in the way the county hires department heads.
The hire happened through an internal appointment, which has often been the case for leadership positions in the past. And while Acting Manager Mark McCauley, who made the choice, had the blessing of county councilors, he didn’t necessarily need it. That’s because McCauley has new executive discretion under the home-rule charter that took effect Jan. 1.
McCauley said he kept county councilors in the loop on the hire because the two branches of Clark County’s new government have strived to work as a team. Councilors David Madore, Tom Mielke and Jeanne Stewart have said the same in public meetings.
“We don’t want surprises,” McCauley said. “We don’t want to ambush each other.”
The charter gave new executive power to McCauley when he became county manager this month. The county commissioners — who used to hold legislative and executive power — became county councilors with less authority.
As for the choice of Stevens, the county’s former budget manager, McCauley said he was a natural fit to lead a department as wide-ranging as General Services. Stevens was also named the county’s first deputy manager to serve in McCauley’s absence — a requirement under the charter.
“He’s an encyclopedia,” McCauley said of Stevens. “In-depth information on any subject.”
General Services oversees a variety of functions including risk management, facilities management and others. The department used to be led by McCauley, but hasn’t had a single director since he was appointed county administrator in 2013.
Budget manager
General Services also currently includes the budget office that Stevens led until recently. Succeeding Stevens as budget manager is Adriana Prata, who worked under him in the budget office. Stevens called her another natural fit.
“The most critical skill in budget is institutional knowledge,” he said. “You just need to know.”
Before this year, the county commissioners’ hiring practices came under scrutiny at times, most notably with the 2013 decision to hire state Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, as director of Environmental Services.
The new hires aren’t the only changes underway in county government. McCauley recently announced plans to combine the county’s Application Services and Infrastructure Services departments. The charter also gave the county manager power to determine the organizational structure of various departments.
A proposal late last year from then-Commissioner Mielke would have protected a dozen departments — including Application Services and Infrastructure Services — from consolidation by formally establishing them in ordinance. The proposal ultimately failed without support from then-commissioners Madore and Stewart. Many opponents saw the move as an attempt to circumvent part of the charter.
