Beginning July 23, Clark County will officially have a permanent county manager again.
The Clark County Council on Tuesday unanimously approved incoming County Manager Shawn Henessee’s contract, granting him a base salary of $170,000, a monthly car allowance of $450, benefits and retirement coverage under the Washington Public Employee’s Retirement System. He will also receive up to $12,000 for moving costs.
Henessee is currently the city administrator in Pleasant Hill, Mo., population 8,000. He has also been the assistant director for Jackson County, a large Missouri county covering much of Kansas City, and is a Washington bar admitted attorney who worked at a law firm focused on land use.
The decision came with little ceremony, with Councilor Julie Olson, a Republican, noting only that “we’re excited to have Mr. Henessee join the team.”
The vote nonetheless signaled a significant turning point for the Clark County Council, which has been without a permanent county manager for more than a year.
In May 2017, the council abruptly fired former County Manager Mark McCauley, offering only vague explanation for the reasoning behind the decision. McCauley is now a department head in Jefferson County on the Olympic Peninsula.
Interim County Manager Jim Rumpeltes has been in the temporary role since July as Clark County conducted a nationwide search for a new manager.
Last year, the council rejected two finalists for the position before starting the process anew, eventually setting on Henessee and two other candidates last month.
The search for a county manager has come at a high cost: nearly $300,000 between Rumpeltes’ salary, McCauley’s six months of severance pay and payments to a Texas-based recruiting and consulting firm to find a new manager.
When Henessee steps into the top executive role at Clark County next month, he’s likely to have a full plate of responsibilities. Clark County is currently grappling with a budget shortfall, an embattled permit center and an outdated and overcrowded jail.
“I look forward to starting as county manager at Clark County,” Henessee said in a county news release. “It is an exciting opportunity with great employees and located in a beautiful area.”
