Beaufort County Manager Paul Spruill on Monday announced his resignation effective June 24. He has accepted the position of general manager and chief executive officer with Tideland Electric Membership Corp.

The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners also on Monday began advertising for Spruill’s successor with the N.C. Association of County Commissioners. It hopes to have a new county manager in place before Sept. 1.

Jerry Langley, board chairman, told the Daily News that finding someone to replace Spruill will be difficult.

“Paul Spruill has set the bar high,” Langley said. “His will be big shoes to fill.”

Langley said Spruill was particularly adept during some eight years as the county’s top employee at dealing with the strong personalities of the seven county commissioners.

“He is very masterful at dealing with the seven of us and putting out fires across the county,” Langley said.

Spruill announced his resignation to the commissioners in a closed-door session with the board April 4 and again in a letter to Langley dated April 11.

Spruill said he told the county’s departmental leadership of his resignation Friday, and the remaining county work force was told Monday.

Spruill will begin work at Tideland EMC on July 5. With headquarters in Pantego, Tideland EMC provides electricity to more than 20,000 customers in Beaufort, Craven, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico and Washington counties.

A native of Bertie County, Spruill began as Beaufort County’s manager on July 10, 2003. A new contract with Spruill, approved by the county commissioners in July 2009, increased his salary to $135,000, up from the $103,604 he received in the final year of his previous contract.

“Twelve individuals from diverse backgrounds, counting past and present county commissioners, have served on the county’s elected board during my time here and I have thoroughly enjoyed working for each one of them and with a very dedicated county government work force,” Spruill said in announcing his resignation.

“When my previous work agreement expired in August 2009, the present Board of Commissioners exceeded my expectations by offering a new employment term of four years with generous compensation,” he said. “In my time here, I could not have asked the employer to accommodate me to any greater degree than what they put forward.”

Spruill said that the chance to learn from a board of directors and a group of capable employees as general manager and CEO for a sizable electric utility was too promising to pass up.

“I am very excited about the opportunity afforded to me by my new employer, but I am most excited about my good fortune of continuing to work in eastern North Carolina,” he said.

Tideland EMC board President Ray Hamilton said, “We are thrilled that Paul Spruill will be joining our co-op family in July. He understands the unique nature of eastern North Carolina, has a proven  track record when it comes to fiscal management and organizational efficiency, and has a strong background in project management. While as a citizen of Beaufort County I am sorry to lose his talents as county manager, I couldn’t be more pleased as a Tideland member to welcome him aboard.”

As county manager, Spruill has overseen a general-fund budget of approximately $50 million and, currently, 288 full-time employees along with a countywide water-enterprise budget of approximately $5 million with 25 full-time employees.

Spruill is scheduled to present his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1, to the commissioners May 9.

During his tenure, Spruill has steered Beaufort County through a number of “really hot issues,” according to Langley, including the specter of a nearby outlying landing field proposed for the region, the expansion of mining operations by PotashCorp Aurora, a downturn in the economy that has led to reductions in county staff and, most recently, the proposed lease/purchase of Beaufort Regional Health System by Greenville-based University Health Systems of Eastern North Carolina.

Langley said Spruill’s temperament was particularly useful in dealing with these issues along with a very outspoken group of county commissioners, and he hopes Spruill’s successor will be equally adept at this.

The commissioners have set May 23 as the application deadline for the county manager’s post.

If the county should need to employ an interim county manager for a short time after Spruill’s departure, the commissioners have designated Jim Chrisman, assistant county manager and chief financial officer, to serve in that capacity, Langley said.

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N.C. Association of County Commissioners

County Manager – Beaufort County (47,759, Census-2010) is home to miles of waterfront property along the Pamlico and Pungo Rivers and the ICW. The County is seeking a highly experienced manager to serve as administrative head of county government with duties including but not limited to the exercise of leadership and supervision among county department leaders and staff; communication and implementation of all policies, orders, and regulations of the Board of Commissioners; preparation of periodic reports to the Board of Commissioners as to the operation of the county; the╩ accountability to a seven-member Board of Commissioners. Requires education/experience equivalent to Master’s degree in public administration or related field. Prefer at least ten years of local government experience (preferably as a county or municipal manager in North Carolina). Compensation is negotiable. Submit completed state application (form-PD 107) accessible at www.ncacc.org or www.co.beaufort.nc.us along with cover letter and rÄsumÄ (all in strict confidence), to County Manager Search, Beaufort County Government, 121 West Third Street, Washington, NC 27889. For additional information, contact Clerk to the Board, Sharon Singleton, 252-946-0079 or sharon.singleton@co.beaufort.nc.us. Application deadline: May 23, 2011. Beaufort County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Posted on April 11, 2011.