Arch Hurley selects McCasland as manager

Franklin McCasland was selected Wednesday night as the new manager of the Arch Hurley Conservancy Distirct.

The vote was 3-2 in favor of hiring McCasland at $52,000 a year. McCasland is to start Jan. 2.

Baord memers Larry Perkins, U.V. Hinson and Pablo Lopez voted in favor of hiring McCasland. John Gilbertson and Tommy Bruhn were the nay votes.

McCasland was one of two finalists interviewed for the district manager position earlier Wednesday by board members.

The board met for a short open session at 4 p.m. Wednesday and closed for an executive session to interview candidates David Foote and McCasland, both of Tucumcari.

The board reviewed applications at a meeting on Tuesday night.

Foote has served on the board until recently and has served as the district's manager in the past.

Foote lost his place on the board to Pablo Lopez in a recent election.

Lopez won the October election in Precinct 1 defeating Foote 3,006 votes to 2,338.

McCasland serves as a Quay County commissioner and chairman of the Commission.

McCasland also served on the Arch Hurley board, as its chairman, and resigned in August 2006 to apply for the position of manager, following the dismissal of manager Larry Cunningham. Although McCasland applied for manager he was not selected at that time.

Perkins initially declined to release the names of candidates. But on Wednesday, after consulting with the board's attorney, he announced the top two candidates to be interviewed for manager.