Time of reflection for Frank Clifton

Former Onslow County Manager Frank Clifton answers six questions about why he was asked to leave and what the future holds - for him and the county.

What's the single biggest piece of unfinished business that you're leaving behind?

Preparing the county for the future - establishing priorities. I've always emphasized that the county needs to develop a strategic plan for the future. There are a lot of opportunities on the horizon. There's lot of challenges; so, I think probably developing a strategic plan that would encompass all the elements of county government and moving it forward.

What, if anything, was surprising about the turn of events that led to your resignation?

Not a lot. Relationships are often developed over a period of time - either positively or negatively. ... People in this business work at the pleasure of a board, and single relationships can sometimes influence that, so the board's leadership or the majority of the board members decide they'd like to have somebody else in this role and, well, that's certainly their prerogative.

Board Chairman Lionell Midgett has said he would like to see you come back after the election. Are there any circumstances that would lead you to return to your former position?

I learned a long time ago - somebody taught me never to say never, but it would be highly unlikely. I think I will probably have moved on and probably so will Onslow County. Hopefully Onslow County will have moved on and taken on any challenges it needs to take on and I'll do the same.

 Why do you believe three commissioners were pushing for your departure?

I just have to base it more on personalities than anything else. I mean, I don't have a specific issue or situation over a period of years. There is a great deal of division among board members; that division spills over into other issues on a regular basis. So, I think it would - pure and simple it was probably more personalities than anything else - mine and theirs. There are always two sides to each issue.

 What do you see as your major accomplishment?

I think we've got a very good staff at county government. I think I challenged them to do better and I think, for the most part, we did. We did a lot. We accomplished a lot of things. They gained recognition by different organizations for their performance and improvements. We've got a lot of dedicated people working in county government and they've done a great job under very difficult circumstances. I think I wouldn't want to point to one issue, saying that. I think everything we did was important. We instilled a sense of customer service and that it's important to be good at what we do and do what we do as good as we can.

What happens to Frank Clifton?

Well, I'll move on. I'm already evaluating a couple of other professional opportunities. From time to time in this business, you're approached by what we call headhunters, but they're professional search firms that are always out there looking. And there's always a situation like this - my leaving creates an opportunity for someone else so those situations go on. There are several thousand communities in this country that are out there that employ professional managers like myself. I'll probably stay in the Southeast; I'd prefer to stay in North Carolina, may go back to Florida. Florida is a place I've worked before, so we'll make a decision. My wife and I will look at the options that are out there and select an opportunity once we've had an opportunity to do that.