With all the major scandals (like Kevin Geddings’ conviction), minor scandals (State ABC Board junkets to Ireland), and possible scandals, here’s a little sprout that’s not so much a scandal as an unusual fact.

When a Community College needs to hire a new President it retains a professional ‘search’ firm. Several firms compete for the business but one, apparently, has a special relationship with the Community Colleges Trustees Association. The firm – Hockaday and Hunter – apparently, ‘rebates’ part of its fee to the Trustees Association whenever it is hired to do a search. Reportedly, ‘the rebate’ has been $66,000 so far this year.

It works like this: the Trustees Association recommends ‘Hockaday and Hunter to its members,’ the firm is paid (with the state funds from the Community Colleges), then it pays the Trustees Association (which is not a state agency) a ‘rebate.’ Technically, there may be nothing wrong with that. But it seems unusual. Why would the Trustees recommend one company over another – instead of just letting competitive bidding take its course? Why wouldn’t Hockaday and Hunter discount its prices to the Community Colleges – rather than giving what amounts to a commission to the Trustees Association? If the colleges want the Trustees to have more money, why not just pay them more dues?

Maybe this just seems odd and it’s not untoward at all. But, maybe, the State Auditor ought to look at it to be sure it’s the more efficient way to hire Community College Presidents.

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