Top Beaufort Co. leader was finalist for job in another county during council turmoil
Beaufort County Administrator Ashley Jacobs interviewed for the top job in another city on the same day that she skipped a County Council meeting in which council members forced Chairman Stu Rodman to resign.
On Tuesday, Jacobs, who’s been with Beaufort County for almost a year, was named one of three finalists to fill the city of North Augusta’s city administrator job. She said Wednesday that she had withdrawn her application and will continue as Beaufort County’s leader.
Asked whether she had applied for other jobs, Jacobs said she did not have “any pending applications,” and she would be staying in Beaufort County.
“I did have concerns about my work environment, but those concerns appear to have been addressed,” Jacobs said.
She declined to comment further.
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J.D. McCauley, human resources manager for the city of North Augusta, confirmed that Jacobs was one of three finalists for the job and that she had removed herself from consideration on Tuesday.
Jacobs applied on Nov. 17 and interviewed on Feb. 14 and March 9, McCauley said.
“She is very qualified and a very good person and we’re sad she has withdrawn,” he said.
The North Augusta Star first reported that Jacobs was a finalist.
Jacobs applied and interviewed for the job during a tumultuous time in county government that resulted in Rodman resigning as council chairman last week — the same day as her second interview with North Augusta.
Jacobs had previously told the newspapers she missed the meeting because of an appointment she couldn’t reschedule.
As administrator, Jacobs attends every council and committee meeting and supervises the day-to-day operations of the county. At meetings, Jacobs presents budgets and issues to council members, who then make policy decisions.
Rodman stepped down from the chairmanship after stories in The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette in January and February detailed the chairman’s repeated circumvention of rules, unilateral decisions and backdoor conversations with employees.
One of the main problems council members had with Rodman was that he undermined Jacobs’ authority as administrator. Last month, the newspapers reported that the former chairman privately emailed a department leader his recommendations for the controversial Jenkins Island road project on Hilton Head Island and intentionally tried to keep the conversation hidden from Jacobs.
Jacobs had previously warned the employee, Rob McFee, director of Construction, Engineering & Facilities, not to take orders from Rodman. After the story about the email exchange, McFee retired from the county.
On March 8, the day before Rodman resigned, the newspapers reported that Rodman used his private email and phone to discuss government projects and refused to allow the public access to them.
During the March 9 meeting in which Rodman resigned, several council members acknowledged Jacobs’ absence and intimated that she may leave the county.
“Bigger picture. Has anybody noticed that the administrator is not here?” Hervochon asked. “That’s why it’s got to be a decision tonight. That’s why we need certainty on council. That’s why we need certainty in the public, and that’s why we need certainty for the administration. Period.”
On Wednesday, Hervochon said he didn’t know Jacobs was interviewing for another job the day of the meeting, but that he “wasn’t surprised.”
