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Oct. 18--HILLSBOROUGH -- The Orange County Board of Commissioners made local history Tuesday by hiring a woman to run the county.
Laura Blackmon will fill the position left vacant by John Link, who recently retired after more than 18 years.
"I think that this is a rather significant event," Commissioner Stephen Halkiotis said, noting that Blackmon will be Orange County's first female county manager.
"I'm thrilled. I really am," Blackmon said. "This is such an opportunity for me."
Blackmon, 53, is an assistant county manager for Osceola County, Fla., and has served as an interim county manager there. She has held several management positions for the city of Kissimmee in the same county. Originally from Alabama, Blackmon moved to Florida as a child. She received her master of arts in political science/public administration from the University of Florida at Gainesville. Before moving into a career in local government, she taught high school social studies for several years.
Blackmon said she is committed to serving Orange County for five to 10 years, after which she likely will retire. Her annual salary will be $135,000.
Assistant County Manager Rod Visser will continue to serve as the interim manager until Blackmon starts Nov. 30. Visser announced earlier this year that he plans to retire by the end of the year.
Blackmon said the good reputation of the state Association of County Managers was a draw for her, and the Orange County board's thorough application process helped her get to know the county.
In other business, the board approved the final building plans for the 10th elementary school in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district. That school is on track to open for the 2008-09 school year. A budget has not yet been set.
The board authorized an evaluation of the education facilities impact fees to determine whether the fees should be raised to meet rising school construction costs and inflation. The fees -- $3,000 per unit for single-family homes in the Orange County Schools district and $4,407 per home in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district -- have not changed since 2001.
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Copyright (c) 2006, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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