Franklin County commissioners have hired a part-time county employee to be the interim administrator to help lead the transition as Amy Bernard prepares to leave July 3.

The commission made the decision after an executive session Wednesday.

Susan Pratt, of Strong, has worked part time at the county since 2021 as the administrator for American Rescue Plan Act funds and opioid settlement funds.

She will incorporate those roles within her duties as interim administrator.

She will be paid $68.30 an hour and work up to 32.5 hours a week and receive no benefits, Bernard said Thursday.

Pratt is a veteran, retired educator and superintendent, and has served in various municipal functions, including as a selectman, budget committee member and moderator at town meetings.

“My role is to help lead during the transition period and support the work of the departments of Franklin County as we search for a new Franklin County administrator,” Pratt wrote in an email Monday.

“The board felt the county needed an interim administrator who could keep things on track while the search process was made for Amy’s replacement,” Thomas Skolfield, vice chairman of the five-member board of county commissioners, wrote in an email.

“Susan is believed to have the skills to address the administrative work on a temporary basis,” he said. “She is not interested in pursuing the position on a continuing basis. This also suits well with her being placed into it temporarily.” 

Bernard, of Rumford, issued her resignation to commissioners May 18. She told the Sun Journal it was a difficult decision to make, but she no longer felt that her professional contributions, operational knowledge, or recommendations were meaningfully considered in key organizational decisions by the board.

Pratt is a Republican candidate for county treasurer, challenging Democratic incumbent Pamela Prodan, of Wilton, in the Nov. 3 statewide election.