New county manager contract sees tighter terms, bigger bucks

Elected officials will have the chance to participate in the incoming county manager’s evaluation, a provision that caused a rift between the commission and the previous manager earlier this year.  

Otherwise, Scott Andrews' new contract reins in the county’s top executive with a shorter contract period and stricter provisions while providing him with a slew of benefits and a higher salary than his predecessor. 

The Board of County Commissioners hired Andrews in August after a months-long search. The previous manager, Fernando Macias, held the position since 2018 but saw his contract ended early by commissioners last December. He left the county in April and is running for District Attorney.

The rift that caused the split centered around the commission’s desire to allow elected officials, such as the county clerk and sheriff, to play a role in Macias’ yearly evaluation. 

It’s unclear how this would have played out. During his tenure, Macias had several public spats with elected officials, tension that would have likely been noted in his evaluations.

While these departments operate outside the county manager’s direct purview, the manager plays an administrative role over the department’s employees. Functions like payroll, termination approval, hiring and other responsibilities fall on the manager, not the elected official. 

But with a new manager and a new contract come new expectations. 

Andrews will receive an evaluation after six months on the job, according to the contract, and elected officials will be allowed to provide input into that process. 

Andrews will then receive yearly evaluations, the same as Macias. 

Andrews' contract is good for three years, with options to renew every two years. That’s another difference from Macias’ contract, which was a six-year deal with annual evaluations. 

With Macias' termination, the county was required to pay him at least $400,000 for the remaining two years of his deal. 

Macias’ contract also allowed the former county manager to moonlight as a consultant, something Andrews’ contract lacks. 

The former and incoming managers had the same amount of vacation. The contracts say that Andrews, like Macias, receives 160 hours (about 20 days) of paid leave a year. 

But the commission will pay Andrews more money. 

Macias' final contract with the board was valued at about $205,288. Andrews will start with an annual salary of $220,000. 

Andrews will also receive a $75 monthly cell phone stipend, a car for conducting county business with civic engagement costs (like membership fees for entry into local organizations) covered by the county. 

The contract also stipulates that Andrews must move to Doña Ana County before his start date. The contract awards him a $15,000 stipend to help make this happen. No such stipulation existed for Macias, who’s called Doña Ana County home for much of his life. 

Andrews is leaving his job as assistant city manager of Bakersfield, Calif., and will start as county manager on Oct. 7.