Interim county official to stay

During his three months as interim Orange County manager, Frank Clifton impressed officials with his background, commitment to the job and creativity, county commissioners said.

The Board of Commissioners unanimously decided to offer him the job permanently because of his experience and ideas, Commissioner Barry Jacobs said.

The commissioners announced the decision at Tuesday’s meeting.

“You would characterize Frank Clifton as a man of action,” Jacobs said. “He knows how things are supposed to work, and he has some ideas where we’re trying to be innovative.”

As manager, Clifton will lead the county’s day-to-day operations and will report to the commissioners.

Clifton has served as interim manager since June, after Laura Blackmon resigned. He previously served as county manager in Onslow and Cabarrus counties, and as city manager in Casselberry, Fla., and Bristol, Tenn.

Clifton, who now lives in Chapel Hill, will receive a starting salary of $161,200.

He will face budget challenges as the county expands services ­— opening a new library, a new county office building and moving the social services department to a new location — in the midst of a recession.

The county also could choose a site for a new waste transfer station, consider building a new elementary school and pursue a technology update to allow webcasting of meetings.

Clifton said his experience in other counties has given him a network of contacts who can advise him on navigating these changes.

“You don’t learn everything from your mistakes, but you hopefully learn a lot,” he said. “It’s not so much what I know but the fact that I know others that are facing the same issues.”

Jacobs said after Clifton arrived in Orange County, the commissioners asked him to review county operations and report back with a few areas where efficiencies could be implemented.

Clifton came back to the board with a 60-plus page report suggesting ways to combine jobs and divvy up responsibilities to continue providing services without having to fill several vacant positions, Jacobs said.

“(The report) showed commitment to the job, depth of knowledge and desire to be the permanent manager,” Jacobs said.

Clifton said he plans to conduct further analysis of county operations and to improve the way officials communicate with citizens.

“In this area, no newspaper reaches everybody,” he said. “With all these new facilities coming on line, there’s going to be opportunities to rethink how we meet and greet the public.”


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