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Raymond informs county he'll retire By ALBERTO ENRIQUEZ Jackson County administrator Burke Raymond said Thursday that he plans to retire this year, but has not set a date. Raymond said he had told the Jackson County Board of Commissioners that he would give the board at least six months' notice before retiring. "I will be 65 this year," Raymond said. "So obviously, it's a decision I will have to make." Former Ashland city administrator Brian Almquist confirmed that board chairman Ric Holt informally discussed the possibility that Almquist might fill in as interim administrator should Raymond retire later this year. "I indicated I would be open to that," Almquist said. "But I'm retired. I'm on the PERS system. I'm not interested in a permanent job." Almquist, who is on a list of government managers available for temporary assignment, recently completed a stint with the Bonneville Power Administration, and has six months' eligibility in 1999. Almquist said he had spoken with Raymond and been assured that Raymond would give six months' notice. "They should be able to find a permanent, not just a temporary, administrator in that time," Raymond said. Commissioners Sue Kupillas and Jack Walker said the board had not discussed Raymond's departure, nor, as a body, made inquiries about any interim candidates. "I know Ric may have some ideas, but he hasn't talked to us about that," Walker said. "I know the thought (of retirement) is there on (Raymond's) part. But if Burke wanted to stay on another four years that I'm on -- I'd be happy." Holt, too, gave Raymond a vote of confidence. "The guy is in county administrator hall of fame," he said. Holt said his discussion with Almquist was simply being prepared. "I felt it incumbent that being a commissioner, we're supposed to be visionaries and look down the road," Holt said. "And that (county administrator) job is so technical these days, you have to have somebody ready to go, somebody who is not only competent but has a great deal of expertise. I had an idea, a concept, and I had to know if it worked first. There's a lot of things (Kupillas and Walker) do that they don't run by me first. Raymond will have been with Jackson County 13 years in August. He was hired as county administrator Aug. 11, 1986, and previously worked as city manager in Gresham, Beaverton, Roseville, Minn., and St. Paul, Minn. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA