Jackson County manager announces retirement
For Jackson County Manager Chuck Wooten, the time has come to shift his professional focus from managing a county to playing with the grandkids. After five years at the center of county operations, Wooten plans to make June 30 his last day, he announced last week.
“When the (county commission) board changed (in 2014), we started talking about how this is not long-term for me,” said Wooten, who will turn 65 in June.
Wooten first came on as county manager in January 2011, just after retiring from 30 years with Western Carolina University, where he worked as vice chancellor for administration and finance. What was initially an interim appointment became permanent as Wooten discovered that he loved the job and decided there wouldn’t be much harm in putting retirement off for a few years longer.
This fiscal year would be a good time to leave, he decided, as it will mark the end of the revaluation process and adoption of the first county budget using the lower property values. The last evaluation of property values in Jackson County took effect in 2008, just before the recession hit, so property owners have been paying taxes based on inflated pre-recession values ever since. The new values will substantially lower the county’s tax base, creating a formidable challenge for county leaders trying to decide where to spend tax dollars, whether a property tax rate hike is in order and if so what size.
“It has been my goal to work with the commissioners to successfully implement this revaluation and to prepare a budget for FY 16-17 utilizing the new tax values before leaving county employment,” Wooten wrote in his resignation letter.
Commissioners were full of praise for Wooten’s contributions to county government when he announced the resignation publicly at the county commission meeting last week.
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“The first words you told us was you would do your best, and I can honestly say you have done a remarkable job,” said Commissioner Charles Elders, reflecting on the moment five years ago when Wooten was first hired.
“I appreciate Chuck and the work that he’s done,” agreed Commission Chairman Brian McMahan.
Originally hired by a board with a conservative majority, Wooten’s job could have been in jeopardy when the 2014 elections flipped the board to a Democratic majority. County managers can be hired and fired at the will of the commissioners, and often as manager, “you get tagged depending on who brings you in,” Wooten said.
But it appears that Wooten managed to weather that storm.
“As I was coming in, I thought the best thing to do might be to get rid of Chuck,” said Commissioner Boyce Dietz, who took office after the November 2014 election. “By golly he does a great job. He is first class. I’ve been so impressed.”
“There absolutely was no pressure,” Wooten said of his decision to retire. “I felt no need to do this involuntarily.”
The decision means that searching for a new county manager will rise to the top of commissioners’ to do list for the new year. They’re planning to start the conversation with a short discussion at their Jan. 19 planning retreat and will likely talk further at a February work session. Wooten’s hoping that the six-month lead-time will be long enough for commissioners to get someone on board before he leaves. And by sticking it out through the end of the fiscal year, which closes June 30, he hopes to increase the county’s chances of attracting someone who’s already got experience leading a county.
“A sitting manger would say, ‘I’ll finish the budget process and then be ready to make that change,” Wooten explained. By waiting until July 1 to fill the position, Jackson can make the job a better sell for qualified candidates.
According to Dietz, finding someone capable of matching Wooten will be hard to do.
“There’s always someone to replace you, but you’ll be hard to replace,” he told Wooten.
Wooten said he’s grateful for his years in county government and willing to help with the transition in whatever way possible. But looking past June, he’s getting excited to start spending more time with his three granddaughters — 8-year-old twins and a 3-year-old.
“They’re still at an age where it’s cool to be around granddad,” he said.
