Bryan County is searching for new department heads for finance and planning as both functions play a major role in the county’s future.

John Grotheer, the former finance director, retired over the summer and is now running for mayor of Statesboro. He was with the county for eight years.

County Administrator Ben Taylor said the county has contracted with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia to find a replacement. Applications are being accepted through Nov. 10 and more information can be found at http://www.bryancountyga.org/about-us/careers.

In its job description, the county said it is looking for a candidate with financial, administrative and supervisory skills who can perform analytical research.

The county’s general fund budget is about $30 million and several large projects are on the horizon, including the new interchange at I-95 and Belfast Keller Road, an expansion of recreational offerings and possibly the construction of a new library.

The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) is up for renewal on Nov. 7, which should add about $18 million to the county’s coffers over the next six years, and a T-SPLOST vote is scheduled for May 2018. That levy would be specifically for transportation-related projects.

The county also recently contracted with The Mercer Group, an Atlanta-based executive search firm that specializes in local governments, to find a new planning and zoning director.

Eric Greenway, who had held that position for a little under two years, resigned recently to become the planning and economic development director for the city of Kings Mountain, N.C., near Charlotte.

Taylor said interviews for that position should begin in early January.

“The county is dedicated to finding two qualified experienced professionals for these positions,” Taylor added. “Hence the involvement of these two organizations to assist with recruitment, vetting of candidates, and ultimately bringing them into the organization.”

Through the use of focus groups and consultants, the county is putting a renewed focus on its planning and zoning practices as they pertain to ordinances land use that will shape how the county grows over the next several decades.

Taylor said he does not believe the vacancies will impact county services.

“Commissioners have met with both executive search teams to better define and amplify the county’s expectations of the positions going forward,” he said. “Current staff are capable of carrying the workload while these searches are undertaken in a methodical and competent process.”