Finance Chief Named Top Administrator

Timothy Firestine, Montgomery County's longtime finance chief, was nominated yesterday by County Executive-elect Isiah "Ike" Leggett to head the sprawling county government, whose annual budget is about $4 billion.

Leggett said he picked Firestine, 51, as chief administrative officer because of his "extreme intelligence," broad knowledge of government, management skill and winning personality.

Firestine has been the county's finance director since 1991, serving under Neal Potter (D) and Douglas M. Duncan (D), who will leave office next week after 12 years.

He is expected to easily win confirmation by the County Council when it meets Dec. 12. He would replace Bruce Romer, who had served Duncan since his days as mayor of Rockville. Firestine would be paid $245,000 a year, an increase of $48,000, making him one of the highest-paid county officials in the region.

Leggett will be paid $163,000 after he is sworn in Monday. Schools chief Jerry Weast is paid $238,000; his contract is up next year.

Firestine, a Pennsylvania native, said he was attracted to Montgomery more than two decades ago while working for Allegheny County, Pa.

"They showed me Montgomery County as a model," he said. "I thought if it was a model, maybe I should go work there."

Soon he joined the county's finance department and quickly rose to high management posts.

Firestine said one of his goals is to reexamine the business-like model for government that Duncan championed. Although Firestine generally favors that approach, he said improvements are needed.

"We need to regroup on our customer service and citizen responsiveness," he said.

The incoming administration will soon face another challenge: contract negotiations with the county's many unionized employees.

Leggett, who hugged Firestine after announcing his nomination at a news conference in Rockville, also confirmed plans, reported this week in The Washington Post, to fire 17 Duncan administration department heads and other top appointed officials.

He also confirmed that he has decided to retain Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, Fire Chief Thomas W. Carr Jr., corrections chief Arthur M. Wallenstein, homeland security chief Gordon A. Aoyagi, library head Parker Hamilton and lobbyist Melanie L. Wenger, among others. Also yesterday, environment chief James A. Caldwell found out he will be dismissed. The fate of Alisoun K. Moore, head of systems and information technology, remained unclear.

Council member Marilyn Praisner (D-Eastern County), expected to be elected council president next week, said she was "ecstatic" about Firestine's appointment, calling it "a brilliant choice." Praisner, who has headed the council's management and fiscal policy committee for 16 years, said Firestine is adept at seeing the big picture and crucial details.

When he took office 12 years ago, Duncan quickly ousted 13 of 24 top officials in the Potter administration.