Alabama county finds hiring tech director difficult

DECATUR, Ala. — Morgan County’s efforts to attract a new information technologies director have been boosted, a bit, by increased pay.

County Commission Chairman Ray Long said Friday an increased compensation offer and a second call for applicants drew just four candidates who met the minimum qualifications.

Long told the Decatur Daily that of those four, two declined to be interviewed.

The hiring committee interviewed the remaining two candidates last week, and Long said he expects to announce the committee’s decision Tuesday.

During the last round of hiring attempts, the county got just two applicants who met the minimum qualifications. Both declined to be interviewed based on the pay range.

The commission opened its search for a new director in July by increasing the salary range for the position. The maximum had been $71,360. The increase put the maximum at $78,083.

When that did not return qualified candidates willing to interview, the commission voted last month to increase the pay range again. This time, the successful applicant could get as much as $94,411.

Long said similarly situated IT directors elsewhere get more than $100,000 a year.

Despite having only two applicants to interview, Commissioner Jeff Clark, who served on the hiring committee, said he was generally pleased with the quality of candidates.

“I think most of the people who were interested in it and had the experience we wanted are already established somewhere else,” he said.