County boss gets assistant; process irks councilman
By LARRY HILLIARD Ledger Staff Writer larry@gaffneyledger.com

An outspoken Cherokee County councilman said council has a poor track record when it comes to hiring.

Councilman Quay Little made the imflammatory comment following the hiring Tuesday of Spartanburg County planner J. Holland Belue as the county's assistant administrator.

Little criticized the hiring process, which excluded three council members, including himself.

The Cherokee County Council Finance Committee, which doubles as the personnel committee, oversaw the search and made the recommendation to hire Belue.

"I felt left out," Little said. "Four of you picked it, but the (new assistant administrator) will work with us all and I didn't have a chance to meet him. This wasn't well thought out."

Councilman Charles Mathis, who chairs the committee, said Little was entitled to his opinion.

Little was the lone councilman to oppose the hiring.

Belue, who currently manages a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development public funded service agency and capital infrastructure projects, will earn $60,000 a year.

He also owned and operated his family's grading and hauling business and worked as a geodetic

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As part of the motion to hire Belue, it was also recommended to boost interim administrator Ben Clary's salary from $54,000 to $62,000.

Belue is expected to begin his new duties in early 2008.

Cherokee County Building Department employee Mason Harris; Blacksburg's Kelvin Sizemore, who is retired from the United States Armed Forces; Greenville's Dawn Wichmann, who works for Greenville County; and First Piedmont Federal employee Steven Bratton were the other finalists, though Bratton withdrew his name for consideration prior to the job being awarded.