Smith County Administrator Leonardo Brown sits for a headshot on Aug. 9, 2018 in Tyler, Texas. (Erin Mansfield/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

The Smith County judge is seeking to eliminate the county administrator job after the current county administrator leaves to take a job in South Carolina.

If the Commissioners Court approves the proposal, County Judge Nathaniel Moran said the move would place more administrative requirements onto the Commissioners Court.

Moran made the announcement after the Commissioners Court accepted the resignation of Leonardo Brown, who serves in a dual role as county administrator and human resources director. His last day is July 12.

Brown joined the county as human resources director in 2009 and took on the role of county administrator in 2014.

Moran said he would like to reclassify Brown’s position as a full-time human resources director. He said that would eliminate the county administrator role unless the Commissioners Court votes to fund the role in a future budget.

“It was a unique role and a merger of two roles because we had such a quality individual and one that was at the right time situated for that position to be a merged position,” Moran told the Commissioners Court. “It’s my intent however to reclassify that position.”

The Commissioners Court will hold a budget workshop at its regular meeting on June 18 to discuss each department’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2020, which starts Oct 1. Moran said he would not propose funding for a county administrator position.

Moran said he would put an item on the Commissioners Court agenda in July to reclassify the new human resources director position. The salary range will be determined as part of that process, he said.

Brown was the seventh-highest paid county employee in fiscal year 2018. His total pay was $125,933, compared to $123,349 for Moran, and between $63,699 and $64,179 for members of the Commissioners Court.

“As our county grows and needs in the HR department grow, it’s my belief at this point that we really need a focused HR director who doesn’t have a dual role,” Moran said in an interview.

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