Current Washington City Manager Brian Alligood will make the jump from city to county management.

Alligood has been hired to take the county reins from interim Beaufort County Manager Ken Windley. It is expected that Alligood will take the position at the end of June. The official announcement of the hire will take place at a Beaufort County Board of Commissioners’ special called meeting at 8:30 a.m. Monday.

According to Board of Commissioners Chairman Gary Brinn, a field of 23 applicants for the job was narrowed down to five that the committee interviewed last Tuesday. Of the 23, many had financial backgrounds, but only two had both financial and management experience.

“Brian is very, very well-qualified. He’s got a degree in emergency management, an engineer, and he’s very educated. I think he’s going to do a really good job,” Brinn said.

The board has been actively searching for a new county manager since former County Manager Randell Woodruff announced his resignation in December of 2014. Woodruff left the post mid-January for the county manager’s position in Pender County. Windley, who has filled the empty position, is slated to leave the office at the end of June.

Brinn said current rumors that county officials sought out Alligood in an effort to convince him to move from Washington’s manager to the county position are unwarranted.

“We did not recruit him,” Brinn said.

Windley and Alligood declined to comment, though Windley said county officials had held off on making an official announcement of the new hire as a gesture of professional courtesy.

Monday’s meeting is open to the public.

The Beaufort County administrative office is located at 121 W. Third Street. The meeting will be held in board room 111.