Stuck in an unusual impasse, the Anoka County Board will take another crack at deciding how to replace retiring County Administrator Jerry Soma at a special meeting Tuesday.
Board Chairwoman Rhonda Sivarajah is vying for the position, and her fellow commissioners this week cast deadlocked votes over whether to appoint Sivarajah directly or launch a formal search for Soma's successor.
The county's practice of appointing internally for its top job without a formal job posting has drawn criticism from some residents, who have raised concerns about transparency.
Several county officials also said they favor a search, with Commissioner Mandy Meisner proposing Tuesday that the county post the job internally for 30 days and interview candidates.
Efforts from Meisner and Commissioners Mike Gamache and Matt Look to launch an internal search failed at the March 26 meeting, as did a vote to appoint Sivarajah, splitting the board 3-3.
"This has got to be an open process," Gamache said Friday. "It's got to be discussed."
Sivarajah was out of town during the recent votes, but several of her colleagues backed her bid, including Commissioners Scott Schulte, Robyn West and Julie Braastad. Supporters have cited her experience working in the county's human services division and leadership chairing the board since 2011.
Schulte said some have politicized the issue.
