HANSLEY
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Tim Hansley has accepted the position as administrator for Union County.
Hansley was named interim director in September, replacing Eric Richter who left to become township administrator in Franklin County’s Washington Township. Monday, the Union County Commissioners removed the interim label and named him the permanent replacement.
Hansley said when he took the interim position he wasn’t looking for a full-time or long term job. Commissioner Gary Lee said the commissioners didn’t think they were hiring the permanent replacement. Both sides, however, said in the five months Hansley has served as interim, they gained confidence and comfort in each other.
“I have come to enjoy being in Union County so it was a relatively easy decision,” Hansley said. “They made an offer and I was able to happily and quickly accept.”
Hansley cited the county’s stable financial position, several upcoming capital projects and his knowledge of the county and surrounding communities as reasons for his excitement about the job.
He added, “it just felt like a very good fit for me.”
Lee said the move felt like a good fit for the commissioners as well.
“In the short time he has been interim county administrator, he has really proven himself,” Lee said. “The repoire he has with county office holders, with department heads and with the public is very impressive.”
Assistant County Administrator Letitia Rayl said she is pleased the commissioners made Hansley a permanent addition to the county administration.
“I think we are all just very excited with the wealth of knowledge and experience he brings, especially at this time of growth, when so much is happening,” Rayl said. “We think he will be a tremendous asset to Union County at a very important time.”
Lee said “experience working in high-growth management is critical and he brings a lot of that to the table.”
In a letter nominating Hansley for an award, former Dublin City Councilmember A.C. Strip wrote that, “much of what Dublin is today is a direct result of Tim’s vision and leadership. Many facilities exist due to Tim’s hard work.”
Hansley, a Dublin resident, served for 14 years as that city’s first city manager, from 1987 through 2001.
Hansley served as Delaware County administrator from 2010 to February 2016. Prior to that, he served as city manager in Pickerington, Beavercreek, Dublin, Conneaut, Lebanon and Tipp City and was in the city administration in Westerville and Cincinnati.
Hansley graduated from Capitol University with a degree in political science and from the University of Oklahoma with a Masters degree in public administration. He has taught public administration classes at both Wright State and Capital universities.
Lee said the commissioners worked through a hiring firm that met with them as well as county office holders and department heads to make recommendations about the position. He said that when the recommendations were finalized, the commissioners met with a representative from the consulting organization.
“She told us she could continue looking for us, but in her professional opinion, we were not going to be able to hire anybody better than the person we already had,” Lee said.
Hansley will earn $107,000 annually. As interim administrator he was paid $1,350 weekly. Richter, who began as Union County administrator in July 2015, made about $103,000 annually when he left.
As interim administrator, Hansley was a part time official, working limited hours and only four days a week. With the interim tag removed, he will work a full-time schedule
As part of the offer, the commissioners did ask Hansley to be in the position at least three years.
“That would be a minimum,” Hansley said. “I could stay four or five years if things go well.”
Lee said the three-year commitment will bring “a level of stability to the position that we haven’t had in the past.”
Hansley said he will continue to meet with the commissioners to establish goals and a vision for the position, “for the next couple of months and then for years into the future.”