Person County commissioners now are reviewing the applications with an eye toward selecting the most appealing candidates for a closer look, which would include background checks and eventually personal interviews.

Carpenter, who plans to step down as manager later this year, said during Monday night’s regular April commissioners’ meeting that the county had received applications from 27 people interested in the manager’s post here. One applicant, he said, is from England, at least one is from Person County and another is from Arizona.

“It looks like to me,” Carpenter told commissioners, “that you’ve got about five to seven capable people and maybe that many more that on a good day might be interesting to talk to but maybe don’t have that much experience.”

Neither Carpenter nor commissioners indicated Monday how long they expected to take for reviewing and paring the applications, performing background checks and establishing dates for candidate interviews.

Carpenter has said previously, however, that it would be preferable to have a manager-elect in time to participate in some of the upcoming budget preparation and possibly on the job by the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. Carpenter has offered to stay on in whatever support role commissioners might desire to help with a smooth transition.

The successful applicant will become Person County’s seventh full-time county manager. Morganton native Carpenter, 54, has held the post here since June of 1999.

Carpenter said Monday, that on April 14, the county will begin interviews with candidates for county finance director, which will come open when Finance Director Andrew Davenport retires in July.