BLOUNTVILLE — The Sullivan County Commission likely will vote Monday on County Mayor Steve Godsey’s recommendation for a new budget director.
Earlier this month, Godsey introduced his pick: William “Bill” Anderson, director of finance for the Tri-City Airport Authority.
Godsey took Anderson around to each of the Commission’s three primary committee’s and introduced him as his candidate for the job.
The county commission must approve Godsey’s choice for the job.
Godsey sprang another candidate for budget director on the commission in January, seeking an immediate vote on that candidate. Multiple commissioners objected to voting on such an important appointment with no notice and no prior information on the candidate. Ultimately, the commission voted to defer action on the matter — and that candidate withdrew his name from consideration before the Commission met again.
Godsey later said he knew he’d made a mistake in how he handled the situation and promised not to do it again — that he’d bring his new candidate around to each of the county commission’s primary committees to give everyone a chance to ask questions if they have any.
Anderson, a certified public accountant, has been director of finance at the airport since 2007.
Godsey picked Anderson from a list of nine people who submitted resumes for the county budget director’s job.
Anderson’s education background includes a B.S.B.A. from the University of Central Missouri, according to his resume, and he began his career as a senior accountant (1973-1977) at the “Big 4” international accounting firm Price Waterhouse & Co. in New York City. His other local experience includes having been corporate controller (1989-2003) at Electrolux-Aerus, LLC in Bristol, Va.
Noting that the county’s overall budget and number of employees is much larger than that of the airport, Anderson told Administrative Committee members he views the potential move from the airport to the county as one that would put him in a much larger organization — but one more in size with his some of his previous work environments.
“I am used to a larger organization,” Anderson said.
Commissioners commented on what they described as Anderson’s obviously exceptional people skills — and that his time at the airport certainly indicates he has been exposed to many aspects of local governments’ operations.
Sullivan County hasn’t had a full-time budget director for nearly a year. Payroll Manager Gayvern Moore has served as interim budget director — in addition to her regular job duties — since shortly after longtime budget director Larry Bailey retired last April.
The Sullivan County Commission is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. on the second floor of the historic Sullivan County Courthouse.