Hemminger
HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County commissioners are expected to fire their top administrator during today’s weekly meeting.
The pending vote, ending Chief Clerk/County Administrator Nicole Hemminger’s employment as of July 2, is on today’s meeting agenda for commissioners’ action.
Hemminger, who started working for the county in January 2017 as the assistant chief clerk, was promoted to the chief clerk/county administrator post in January 2020 after Helen Schmitt retired.
After 6.5 years, Hemminger was the most experienced employee in the commissioners’ office, with knowledge of county contracts, road and bridge projects, labor agreements, elections, grants and other county operations.
Commissioners Chairman Dave Kessling said Monday that since January when he joined the board and commissioners Amy Webster and Laura Burke were sworn in for second terms, they have become more proactive in managing county operations.
While Kessling declined to address specific reasons behind Hemminger’s termination, he acknowledged that it follows the decision commissioners made in May to terminate Human Resources Director Katherine Swigart.
It also follows a decision commissioners made in March, by a 2-to-1 vote, to terminate Nathan Karn’s services as solicitor and to rely on a Pittsburgh law firm at a lesser cost.
“With all three of those decisions, there are things we cannot discuss publicly,” Kessling said. “But the decisions aren’t reflective of just one thing. They’re multifaceted.”
Under the state’s Sunshine Law, governing bodies are allowed to discuss personnel disciplinary actions in private executive sessions but it doesn’t require the discussions to be private. The law also doesn’t forbid members of governing bodies from publicly discussing their positions in favor or against personnel-related actions when they’re being voted on during a public meeting.
“I think these actions are a reflection of what began in January, with a new commissioners board wanting to take a more active role in the decision-making process,” Kessling said. “That’s why people put us into office, to make decisions.”
The Mirror was unsuccessful on Monday in reaching Hemminger for comment.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.
