Intergovernmental agreement about director position to be considered by commissioners
By Steve Herring
Published in News on July 31, 2016 1:45 AM
Wayne County and the city of Goldsboro could be splitting the cost of up to $80,000 to pay for a marketing/communications director who would work for both.
An intergovernmental agreement between the two will be considered by Wayne County commissioners when they meet Tuesday morning. It is also on the City Council's Monday night agenda.
The marketing and communications director would be appointed, supervised, and evaluated by the county manager, with the concurrence of the city manager.
The communications director would oversee advertising, media relations, assist with speech writing and even provide training for making public presentations and that would promote and market the county.
During an unofficial vote taken during a June budget work session Commissioners Ray Mayo, Joe Gurley and Wayne Aycock raised their hands when Chairman Joe Daughtery asked for a show of those in opposition.
Daughtery and Commissioners John Bell, Ed Cromartie and Bill Pate raised their hands in support of the position.
Tuesday's meeting will get under way with an agenda briefing at 8 a.m. followed by the formal session at 9 a.m. Both will be held in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth floor of the Wayne County Courthouse Annex.
The 2016-17 county budget approved in June included $30,000 to cover the county's share of the position.
But in a memo to commissioners, County Manager George Wood said the total might need to be increased to up to $40,000 depending on the level of experience the county can attract. The total includes benefits.
Former county public information officer Barbara Arntsen was making $65,262.60 when she left county employment in 2015. She was also receiving a monthly travel allowance: $646.22 ($7,754.64 yearly) and a monthly cell phone stipend of $100 ($1,200 yearly).
Last December Goldsboro officials decided not to fill the city's public and government affairs position, following the resignation of Kim Laverick, who was making close to $68,000 a year.
Wood has said the county needs to do more to get a consistent message out and to market itself.
The communications director would be housed in the county's existing public affairs offices, where the previous public information officer was located. The city may provide office space as well for when the director works on projects there, Wood said.
The communications director will be a county employee, but supervised and evaluated jointly by the county and city managers. The director's time, and expenses, will be split equally by the county and the city."
In another marketing related matter, commissioners will be asked to approve an updated state Department of Transportation sign resolution.
Earlier this year commissioners agreed to pay $32,000 the DOT to design and install five new "Welcome to Wayne County" signs at five locations -- U.S. 70 at the Johnston County line; new U.S. 70 at the Lenoir County line; the old U.S. 70 at the Lenoir County line; Interstate 795 at the Wilson County line; U.S. 117 South at the Duplin County line; and future Interstate 795 at the Duplin County line.
At that time it was also discussed that the University of Mount Olive had requested "Home of the University of Mount Olive" to be included on a smaller sign under the main one. The university has agreed to pay $5,500 for the addition.
"Agriculture, Industry, Air Force" will be on another smaller sign under the main one.
The DOT is requiring an updated resolution to include the tag line signs.