Saline County administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes will be continuing in his position after the county commission voted to offer him a contract extension. After an executive session at the commission’s Tuesday meeting, the commissioners voted 5-0 to offer Smith-Hanes an extension to his contract for one year. Smith-Hanes was hired in 2019 and began in December. He said his initial contract was for 13 months, going through December 2020, with an option to extend an additional five one-year terms, which is what the commission voted to do Tuesday. Bob Vidricksen, chairman of the commission, voiced his support for Smith-Hanes and this decision to extend his contract. “He has stepped into a hornet’s nest, unintentionally I might add, with COVID, with the Expo Center, with the radio (project),” Vidricksen said. “We’re lucky that Phil came along.” Vidricksen said that as an organization, as a county and as citizens, the county is in a good place with Smith-Hanes coming to Saline County. “His leadership has been invaluable as far as I’m concerned,” Vidricksen said.
Source: News – Salina Journal
