The move to hire Don Pollex as the head of La Salle County's new Information Technology Department went from nearly a sure thing Monday morning to a definite maybe on Monday afternoon.

One way or another, his appointment is to be voted on Friday by the full County Board.

Pollex has been working on the county's computer system for 14 years as an employee of Illinois Valley Community College. On Dec. 1, the county will amicably part ways with the college as its computer services provider after more than 30 years.

Last Thursday, the County Board's Information Technology Committee debated whether Pollex should be the choice, as Board Chairman Jerry Hicks, D-Marseilles, has called for, or whether the job should be posted and applicants sought — but made no decision.

Monday morning, however, the County Board's Fee and Salary Committee took the issue up and voted to recommend Pollex's appointment with a $65,000 salary be approved by the full County Board on Friday.

Ganiere said the hiring recommendation could have come from either committee, but it was more typical for it to come from the Fee and Salary Committee.

Unlike the IT Committee, which met in public, the Fee and Salary Committee exercised its option to hold its deliberations during a 20-minute closed session with Hicks.

When it was over, board member Tom Ganiere, D-Ottawa, acted as spokesman. His position was nearly identical to the one put forward by Hicks last week to the IT Committee.

Ganiere said it did not make sense to seek other applicants when Pollex had a thorough understanding of the specialized "Legacy System" software the county has been using for many years.

"Whether that's fortunate or unfortunate, that's the way it is."

Seeking other applicants, Ganiere said, "would be a waste of time and money."

The other five committee members present had no comment and voted unanimously in favor of the Pollex appointment. Voting "aye" were: Ganiere; Tom Walsh, D-Ottawa; Jill Bernal, D-Peru; LouAnne Carretto, D-Ottawa; Bob Jakupcak, D-Streator and Joe Savitch, D-La Salle, the committee chairman. The committee's lone Republican, Jerry Myers of Streator, was absent.

Within hours, however, Pollex's fate was less secure.

Monday afternoon, a special IT Committee meeting was scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 19, at 10:30 a.m. and a special Fee and Salary Committee meeting set for Friday, Nov. 20., at 12:30 p.m., just before the 1 p.m. full County Board meeting.

Hicks told The Times late Monday afternoon that after further discussion and consultation with Troy Holland, the County Board's attorney, it was decided to schedule the two meetings.

The IT Committee meeting Thursday will offer the opportunity for the committee to recommend Pollex be hired as interim department head while interviews are done with other candidates, Hicks said. If that action is taken, then when the Fee and Salary Committee meets Friday it may adopt the same recommendation.

An interim appointment would be in keeping with the preference of IT Committee Chairman Art Rigby, D-La Salle.

On Sunday, Rigby — who was in New Jersey on a family visit and had missed last Thursday's IT Committee meeting — told The Times he was "a little bit disturbed about the way it was kind of shoved through without the (IT) committee wanting to move it forward to the full board."

Rigby said that at last month's IT Committee meeting Hicks had promised to place an advertisement for the post, but had not.

Last Thursday, Hicks told the committee he had changed his mind, that seeking other applicants was not necessary.

"I consider that's a bad way to do business," said Rigby. "To turn around and ramrod someone through — I don't appreciate that.

"If you make a commitment you are going to do something I think that it should be carried through. It looks a lot like he has snowballed Don Pollex into the position, and I don't believe that the man is the most qualified person we can get."

Rigby said the county highway department had not found Pollex responsive, and started using a different software system.

"I personally believe we should interview people and see who we can get for an IT manager. That's not to say Don shouldn't be hired to work for the county. I think he's qualified to be the network administrator."

Rigby said Pollex should be appointed as acting IT manager while other candidates are considered.

"We need to at least take a look to see who there is outside that could be brought in, someone with new and maybe better ideas, instead of sticking with the status quo."