The Cass County Board of Commissioners approved a motion to hire interim county administrator Louis Csokasy Thursday evening as full-time administrator pending an employment contract between the board and the employee, as well as a background check.

During the regular meeting of the board, commissioners disagreed during discussion on the motion to hire Csokasy full-time, though his interim contract is valid until March.

With Commissioner Bob Wagel absent from the meeting, other commissioners laid out concerns with appointing Csokasy as the full-time administrator, with some saying the county was rushing into the decision.

Commissioner Roseann Marchetti presented the motion, which was approved 12-2 with Commissioners E. Clark Cobb and Dale Lowe voting no.

“I don’t think at this time that this board should be approving Louis as a full-time administrator,” Lowe said during discussion on the motion. “There should be a 30-day search for other candidates.”

Commissioner Ed Goodman countered Lowe’s statement by saying that the county did, in fact, complete a search for county administrator, turning up 25 possible candidates.

“We had a search with 25 candidates that nobody on this board wanted,” Goodman said. “Csokasy has done an excellent job since he has been here … I don’t see a reason why we would have a problem going forward with this motion.”

Cobb also expressed concern over the appointment, stating that the county was rushing into the decision and that Csokasy’s interim contract binds him to the county for another several months.

“My opinion is that we should wait for this,” Cobb said. “We’re going to have a new board and nothing with his position is going to change in the coming months.”

Commissioner Skip Dyes questioned the reason for a background check if the majority of those deciding already know that nothing criminal will appear on Csokasy’s record.

Commissioner Johnny Rodebush spoke in approval of Csokasy, however, saying that waiting another two weeks to revisit the motion at the next meeting means having the same discussion.

“If we do nothing for two weeks, that means the sheriff isn’t doing the background check for another two weeks, so we’re sitting here doing nothing,” Rodebush said.

After a public comment remark from a resident stated that the decision should be postponed, Csokasy remarked that his involvement with the Cass County Road Commission has ceased to exist once he became interim administrator and that it will continue to be that way.

“I am 100 percent dedicated to the position of administrator,” Csokasy said.

Chairperson Minnie Warren said that the decision is not finalized and that Csokasy’s hiring is subject to the new contract and background check.

A contract will be submitted for a roll call vote at the next board of commissioners meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 18.