County looking for replacement for position of assistant manager

Clark County officials are interviewing candidates to replace Phil Rosenquist, an assistant county manager who retired in April.

County Manager Virginia Valentine imposed a hard hiring freeze last year to ease a worsening budget crunch but made an allowance to fill jobs deemed critical.

Fully staffed, the county has three assistant managers. It is already down one because Darryl Martin, who left last year, was never replaced, said Erik Pappa, county spokesman.

"We can't leave two open," Pappa said. "It seemed a critical position. It's an important expertise we need up here."

Representatives from the local firefighters and county employees unions didn't respond to inquiries about whether replacing Rosenquist was justified in a dire financial time.

Rosenquist couldn't be reached for comment.

Commissioners will meet in a special hearing Monday to decide a final budget for 2010-11. They will receive recommendations on how much the county will need to cut staffing and employees' wages and benefits to close a $57 million shortfall.

Rosenquist, a 19-year county employee, was assistant county manager for three years. He oversaw many, if not most, of the county's major departments, Pappa said.

They include public works, development services, the assessor's office, fire, parks and recreation, business licensing, comprehensive planning and air quality.

Rosenquist earned $197,000 last year, according to county data.

Pappa said he didn't know whether a new hire would be paid that much because the salary is negotiable.

Rosenquist was hired in 1991. He worked in county planning, including as a supervisor, until 2002, when he became the development services director. He was promoted to assistant county manager in 2007.

Valentine praised Rosenquist's institutional knowledge about the county and said he handled many other tasks aside from his normal managerial duties.

Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.