By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

The Ellis County Commission has selected a Kansas native and the current county administrator for Humboldt County, Calif., as the new Ellis County administrator.

At Monday’s meeting. the commission voted 2-1 in favor of hiring Phillip Smith-Hanes to the county administrator position. Commission Chair Marcy McClelland voted against accepting the contract.

Smith-Hanes currently serves as county administrative officer of Humboldt County, Calif., and lives in Eureka, Calif. Smith-Hanes has served in his current role since 2009.

He is a native of Marion and received a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University, a law degree from Washburn University and a master’s from the University of Kansas.

Before serving in his current position, he served as the assistant county administrative officer and deputy county administrative officer for Humboldt County.

McClelland voted against the contract and said she heard from constituents that they were not in favor of hiring a new county administrator.

“They felt the department heads could manage their departments and don’t need an administrator,” said McClelland.

She added the Kansas Association of Counties and the Executive Director Randall Allen was “very helpful.”

Allen’s group worked with Ellis County to narrow the candidate field to three candidates from the commission to select from.

Smith-Hanes is expected to start his duties in Ellis County on March 1.

In June, then-Ellis County Administrator Greg Sund stepped down after nearly five years. He was named director of public works for the city of Hays that same month.