White County Commissioners questioning the performance and qualifications of new Parks and Recreation Director Don Pearcy.
The Steering Committee discussion included concerns about employee accountability. Concerns also focused on whether the county needs a full-time director. Commissioner Tracy Fowler told Steering Committee A she has received complaints about Pearcy’s work, including maintenance problems at county ballfields.
“I just think if we’re paying somebody $50,000 a year, I know part of it’s from a grant, but we owe that to our tax our tax people that’s paying him to know where he is and what he’s doing during the day,” Fowler said.
Fowler also questioned how the county monitors his daily activities and whether the position justifies its salary. Fowler said Pearcy lacks a dedicated office and operates from a county truck.
County Executive Kyle Goff said he is working with Pearcy to establish clearer responsibilities, procedures and expectations for the department. Goff said he has been in office for two months and cannot speak to the department’s operations before his administration. He said Pearcy reports directly to him and the two recently met for two hours to discuss the department’s direction.
Fowler also questioned how many grants he has applied for since taking the position in February.
Commissioner Dakota White said the ballpark president has repeatedly requested restroom cleaning and has performed duties that fall under the director’s job description.
Goff said the county recently hosted six colleges for an event and has a Professional Disc Golf Association tournament scheduled for December 5.
“I am hesitant to bring county employees in here to a lion’s den,” Goff said. “I would prefer to answer any questions you guys have first.”
Commissioners also questioned the removal of a four-year college degree requirement from the position’s original job description.
Finance Director Chad Marcum said the county initially interviewed three applicants without finding a suitable candidate. State officials subsequently approved removing the degree requirement to expand the applicant pool.
“So the process went through everything that it was supposed to with the state, it went through everything it was supposed to with the county, and there’s nothing underhanded or anything like that that has occurred,” Marcum said.
Marcum said the hiring process complied with state and county requirements. He also explained that some certifications listed in the job description could be obtained after hiring.
Commissioner Edward Newport challenged the decision to change the qualifications rather than continue searching for applicants who met the original standards.
“I take exception to lowering our standards to fit that individual,” Newport said. “I think if we set a standard that this is what we want of our county employees or our Parks and Recreation situations, we should not lower our standards simply because there’s not enough people that we know locally to do that.”
Committee Chairman Chris Brewington said he personally knows an applicant who possessed a four-year degree and the listed certifications but was not interviewed.
Commissioners also discussed their authority over the position’s funding. Newport noted the commission cannot hire or fire county employees, while Harrington said commissioners could vote to discontinue the grant supporting part of the director’s salary. Marcum said commissioners could address the position through the budget.
The committee took no action on the position Monday. Pearcy was not present to respond to the concerns.