Commissioners name interim chief clerk
The former Butler County chief clerk is out, and the new county commissioners on Monday appointed an interim one.
Former chief clerk Amy Wilson no longer is employed by the county, and the commissioners appointed Gerald Patterson to be interim chief clerk.
Wilson of Center Township was chief clerk since November 2012, replacing Bill O’Donnell. Before that, she was former Commissioner Dale Pinkerton’s administrative assistant, and before that she worked in public relations in Los Angeles and in the nonprofit sector.
It was not clear if Wilson resigned or was terminated. County solicitor Mike English said the county had no comment on Wilson, saying it was a personnel issue.
Wilson did not return a call for comment.
Patterson, 69, of Butler Township is a managing consultant with Public Partners of Pittsburgh.
He was the manager of Butler Township from 1983 to 1992, and again from 1994 to 2008, when he retired. He was the manager of Wilkins Township from 1993 to 1994.
Patterson also was the chairman of the Butler Area Sewer Authority and the chairman of the Municipal Employers Insurance Trust. He is the former chairman of the Butler County Industrial Development Authority.
He has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Point Park University.
Patterson said in an interview he is excited to work in the county and with the commissioners.
The chief clerk works in the commissioner’s office and, among other things, works on the budget and is the county’s right-to-know officer.
County controller Ben Holland praised the hiring of Patterson, saying he is experienced with municipal government.
“This board has done themselves well by appointing Jerry Patterson,” Holland said.
Holland said that in the past two years there has been a toxic relationship between the commissioner’s office and his office, which he said is not conducive to good work.
“We have to work together,” Holland said, saying Patterson will do well in that regard.
The interim position is capped at 700 total hours, and has no benefits. It pays $76 per hour for in-office work and $65 per hour for remote work.
Commissioner Leslie Osche, board chairman, said commissioners will make a future decision on the chief clerk’s position based on what they determine the county’s needs to be.
Osche, along with commissioners Kim Geyer and Kevin Boozel, were sworn in Monday morning and had their first public meeting that afternoon.
