The Butler County commissioners say they are looking ahead with the pending creation of a new post: chief of economic development and planning.

The new post replaces the former planning director position vacated at the end of 2015 when Dave Johnston retired.

Commissioner Leslie Osche said Johnson’s retirement enabled the county to re-evaluate the job description.

“The opportunity presented itself,” Osche said.

A county description of the post states that person will coordinate and stimulate economic development through internal departments and county-related agencies.

The new post would work with county mapping, assessment, tax claim, recycling and conservation.

Osche said the economic development chief would bring in those other departments when overlapping is necessary.

“It will be a supervisory role,” she said.

Osche stressed the person hired won’t overstep the bounds of each department head.

The county formerly had a property and revenue director who oversaw tax claim, assessment and mapping.

However, when director Ed Rupert retired in early 2013, the county did not replace him. Instead, three new posts — chief assessor, tax director and mapping director — were created without increasing staff.

Commissioner Kim Geyer conceded the new post would have ambitious goals.

“We’re asking a lot of this person,” Geyer said. “With the right skill set, we can get the right person.”

Commissioner Kevin Boozel agreed.

“It’s going to have to be a dynamic person,” he said.

Geyer said the economic development chief would coordinate efforts between the multiple departments and agencies.

“Right now, we’re working in our own silos,” she said.

Boozel agreed all parties internally and externally were not moving as a group to promote growth.

“It was uncoordinated before,” Boozel said.

He said the new post would help make the process more efficient.

“At least we have direction, clear direction,” Boozel said.

Geyer pointed out there are similar posts producing effective results in other counties across the state and in Ohio.

“We’re going to have growing pains, and we expect that,” she said.

Osche explained the post also would focus on operational issues, such as increasing the use of technology in the affected county departments.

She said technology such as geographic information system (GIS) mapping are underused in the county.

According to Osche, the county would make other personnel moves once other retirements occur.

“We’re not done shuffling the deck underneath,” she said. “There’s still some natural attrition to occur here.”

The chief of economic development will report to the commissioners instead of the county’s chief clerk.

The county salary board, which is comprised of the three commissioners and county Controller Ben Holland, will set the salary when creating the post.

Holland said he isn’t concerned by the job title.

“They can call the position whatever they want,” he said.

However, Holland said setting a salary for such a post could be problematic.

“That’s the one thing that concerns me,” he said.

Holland said the post’s scope of responsibilities may or may not be overly ambitious.

“Time will tell,” he said.

Holland said the key to the post producing successful results is selecting the right individual.

“This person will have to exhibit strong managerial ability,” he said.

Osche said the new post will be created in conjunction with the establishment of the Butler County Growth Collaborative and Advisory Committee, comprised of such groups in economic development as the Community Development Corporation of Butler County and Butler County Community College.

Other groups involved would include the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, the county Tourism & Convention Bureau and the Butler County Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

Osche cited two studies in 2009 and 2015 that arrived at the same conclusion about the necessity of forming such a joint effort for growth and economic development in the county, but no one acted on the studies’ conclusions.

“Nothing happens,” she said. “It goes on a shelf.”

Osche said the new post and committee would maximize the county’s comprehensive plan — which is a guide for a government entity on how to best use its resources to reach set goals.

Among the tasks would be supporting businesses wanting to relocate to the county, business expansion as well as helping county municipalities with their infrastructure, transportation and development efforts.

She said the post would be filled later this year.

“It’s possible we have a candidate before the next salary board meeting,” Osche said.

But she said that was unlikely since that meeting is Sept. 21.