Former St. Louis County Attorney Alan Mitchell might get a new job with his old employer.
Mitchell on Monday was approved by a committee of the St. Louis County Board to fill the position of interim county administrator.
The full County Board is expected to suspend its rules and vote to approve Mitchell for the temporary post at their regular board meeting today in Duluth.
Mitchell would replace Dana Frey, who is leaving after Feb. 8 to take a position in Bosnia. Frey has held the post since April 2004.
Gary Eckenberg, deputy county administrator, said Monday that Mitchell was one of four applicants for the interim job who were considered finalists -- two current county employees and two people from outside the county. The other finalists' names will not be released, Eckenberg said.
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Mitchell's presence again at County Board meetings could make for some uncomfortable moments as he'll sit across the board room from County Attorney Melanie Ford, who defeated Mitchell in a razor-close election in November 2006.
It's not clear when the County Board will take up the search for a full-time replacement for Frey. Eckenberg said no timetable has been set to fill the position permanently. In the past, the board has used both internal human resources staff and external candidate search companies to fill the post.
It's also not clear if Mitchell, 62, will apply for the position permanently. He was first elected county attorney in 1978 and ran unopposed for re-election six times until he was defeated by Ford.
Mitchell did not immediately respond to attempts to reach him on Monday.
The county administrator is responsible for the general supervision of county departments, institutions and agencies. The directors of 12 departments report directly to the administrator. The position also oversees many of the 1,970 county employees and helps the seven commissioners set the county's $334 million budget.
The position is expected to pay between $101,000 and $135,000 in 2008.
