The Lancaster County Board voted to offer Rick Hoppe, the longtime chief of staff to former Lincoln mayor Chris Beutler, the position of county chief administrative officer.
Hoppe's approval for the post Thursday came on a 4-1 vote, with Republican Commissioner Deb Schorr opposing the choice.
As of Thursday night, Hoppe had not yet accepted the position. In December, he accepted a position as the city administrator for Ralston.
Hoppe, a Democrat, was one of three candidates to replace Kerry Eagan, who has held the job since 1992 and is retiring.
The other two candidates were Gary Greer, who has worked as a city administrator in Nebraska, Kansas and Texas, and Kelly DiMartino, deputy city manager of Fort Collins, Colorado. All three interviewed before the board on Tuesday.
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Explaining her vote, Schorr said she's seen Hoppe have success in a number of situations.
"I have also seen his Democratic activist side, and (I) expressed a concern about having a chief administrative officer that could remain independent," Schorr said.
This position is different from a mayor's chief of staff, who answers to one person, she said.
In his new position, he'll answer to five commissioners, she said.
Among duties of the chief administrative officer is directing the preparation of information for use by the county board in making decisions, serve as a liaison between the board and county elected officials and oversee departments led by appointed officials.
Commissioner Sean Flowerday said he believes a lot of the growth in Lincoln over the past 12 years can be attributed to Hoppe, and he's glad the community isn't losing him.
Hoppe has worked in a bipartisan way in his career at the city and state level, Flowerday said, noting he had two letters of recommendation from Republicans.
Flowerday, a Democrat, believes Hoppe will bring his administrative skills from the mayor's office to his new role with the county.
"I believe he can transcend politics in that, too," he said.
Despite her vote, Schorr said she will support Hoppe because he was the board's choice.
County officials were still negotiating Hoppe's salary Thursday, but commissioners had set the salary range between $110,000 to $185,000. Hoppe was set to make $115,000 at his job in Ralston.
Hoppe did not immediately respond to a request for comment.