Forsyth County Commissioners are taking preliminary steps toward picking a new county manager.

The commission decided during a special called meeting recently to move toward hiring an outside recruiting firm to handle the process. They directed county procurement director Donna Kukarola to prepare a request for proposals outlining what officials want in such a firm. That plan will come back before commissioners during a special called meeting, with the request for proposals then going out for bid.

Commissioners also talked about the possibility of appointing an internal committee to handle the search, but that idea fell short.

Current County Manager Doug Derrer is set for retirement in April but he told commissioners he’d consider extending that if the search process takes longer than expected. He’s been county manager since March 2009.