Decatur County is steadily moving forward with choosing a new county administrator to replace former administrator Gary Breedlove.

A committee comprised of commissioners Pete Stephens, Rusty Davis and commission chairman Dennis Brinson have reviewed 21 applications and widdled the pool down to five.

“From those five, we narrow it further down to about three, and then move forward with those interviews,” Brinson said.

Stephens said the board is conducting background checks at the moment, and plan to sit down face to face with each of the applicants as soon as they are cleared.

The new administrator will replace Gary Breedlove, who began as the interim county administrator in March 2012 and was later voted by the board to remain in the position. He resignation, announced April 1, was effective April 30.

Serving as the current interim director is Perry Henry of Perry L. Henry LLC, a CPA accounting service in Bainbridge. Stephens said the board has promised Henry they would move as quickly as possible in selecting a permanent county administrator.

“We are doing our due diligence and being cautious about how we move forward with it,” Brinson said. “I think the county has made some terrific strides and we don’t want any type of backsteps.”

One of the five finalists is a woman, according to Brinson.

The Open Records Act reads that at least 14 calendar days prior to the meeting at which a final action or vote is to be taken on a new county administrator, all documents concerning as many as three persons under consideration whom the agency has determined to ne be qualified for the job are subject to release.

It further states that if a new county administrator is hired without any interviews being conducted, the county is required to reveal all applicants for the position per request.