Tarrant Water District may move forward with plan to rush hiring of general manager

The Tarrant Regional Water District board may move forward with president Jack Stevens’ plan to choose a new general manager before his replacement is sworn into office.

Stevens, the longest serving board member at 17 years, finished last in a field of six that included fellow incumbents James Hill and Leah King. Mary Kelleher, a former board member, will replace Stevens. Other candidates included Jeremy Raines, Charles “C.B.” Team and Glenda Murray Thompson.

Before the election Stevens told the Star-Telegram editorial board he wanted to choose a replacement for Jim Oliver before any new members were sworn in. The board will meet Tuesday to canvass ballots from Saturday’s election. The regular meeting is scheduled for May 18.

Oliver, the general manager for 35 years, announced his retirement earlier this year.

Stevens did not return a call or emails requesting comment.

Marty Leonard, first elected in 2006, served on the hiring committee that vetted applicant search firms. On the phone Tuesday, she wouldn’t commit to a timeline for selecting a new top executive. At first she said the May 18 meeting made more sense, but then said the board might consider a candidate at the special canvassing meeting. She declined to say who the top candidates were.

“We’ll have a decision real soon, but we’re not finished with the process,” she said.

Another longtime board member, Jim Lane, also elected in 2006, said he doubted the board would make a decision before the regular meeting, though it could be discussed in an executive session after the canvassing.

Neither said whether they would support selecting a new general manager before Kelleher is sworn in.

Kelleher, during the April editorial board meeting, said she thought whoever voters chose should be involved in the decision on a new general manager.

In a brief interview Monday, she recalled when Deputy General Manager Dan Buhman was hired in 2013 that he seemed like a logical successor to Oliver. She didn’t rule out promoting Buhman if he was interested and the most qualified, but she said she would want to look out for external candidates as well.

“I have nothing against Dan, I’m sure he’s very capable, but I do think it might be best to bring in some new blood,” she said.

The notion of hiring someone before the election or before any new members took office contradicted the other board members’ intentions.

King, who received the most votes Saturday and is also on the search committee with Leonard, told the Star-Telegram last month no hiring timeline was discussed.

Hill, who also won a second term Saturday, has previously said he thought the decision should be methodical and not be restrained to a political timeline.

“I would not be in support of any kind of approval either prior to an election or prior to a swearing in,” he said in April.

Neither returned calls for comment this week.

During the editorial board interview last month, Stevens was confident a new hire would be made before any changes to the board could happen. He argued that the current board “knows what needs to be done and knows the personalities involved,” though he later said he hadn’t seen a list of people interested in the general manager job.

Asked during the editorial board interview if he thought it would be a good idea to hire a new general manager and stick that person with new board of directors members, Stevens said it was unlikely the board would change.

“We won’t be leaving them in the hands of a different board,” he said before pausing. “Marty and Jim will be there, so that’ll be two. And there’ll be, uh, then if I’m reelected there will be three. Besides we’re going to hire someone who knows what’s going on.”