The Sumner County mayor asked the county's Financial Management Committee to pause execution of a contract with Sumter Consulting so officials can vet a candidate the mayor described as a potential finance director.

"What I propose, what I'd like to do is just take a 2 week pause, 2 and a half week pause on executing contract with Sumter, and then let's just vet this candidate," Mayor (Speaker 4) told the committee, adding he wanted background checks and time for the candidate to meet finance staff, county commissioners, constitutional officers and department heads.

Committee members discussed logistics, noting Thanksgiving and other holidays could lengthen the timeline. Chair (Speaker 1) said staff should ensure sufficient time for the finance department to interview the candidate. Speaker 2, who provided legal context during the discussion, said that if a contract has not been executed and no purchase order issued, the county should be able to "walk away" from the procurement.

The committee reached a voice vote to pause the Sumter Consulting contract and to reconvene or revisit the issue within the agreed pause period for final direction. Committee members also asked that any background-check results be routed through legal before wider distribution.

The pause does not cancel the search or the recruitment firm; it temporarily delays contract execution while the candidate is vetted. The next procedural step is for the mayor and staff to coordinate the background check and a short set of meetings with department leaders and commissioners, then report back to the committee at its next scheduled meeting.

The committee spent much of the discussion emphasizing transparency, scheduling constraints around holidays, and ensuring legal review of candidate vetting materials before distribution.