Hall County's attorney and administrator were replaced in Thursday's tension-filled Board of Commissioners meeting.

After much discussion, commissioners named Jock Connell, former Gwinnett County administrator, to replace Charley Nix as county administrator and Atlanta law firm Holland and Knight to replace Bill Blalock as County attorney.

The moves were passed in 3-2 votes, with Commissioners Ashley Bell, Craig Lutz and Scott Gibbs in favor and Chairman Tom Oliver and Commissioner Billy Powell in opposition.

News about the appointments broke a day earlier than intended on Wednesday afternoon, leaving Oliver and Powell in shock as Bell and newly minted commissioners Lutz and Gibbs called for resignations from Nix, Blalock, Assistant County Administrator Phil Sutton and Finance Director Michaela Thompson.

On Friday morning, Connell appointed Lisa Johnsa as interim finance director. She is a former assistant county administrator and finance director in Gwinnett County.

More than 300 residents packed into the Georgia Mountains Center meeting room Thursday night, with Hall County sheriff's deputies posted near the door. Public comment was barred and commissioners bickered over meeting procedures.

The tension was palpable from the first order of business. Lutz and Bell approved Gibbs as the 2011 vice chairman over Powell, who was in line for the position under previous board policy.

Oliver opened the county attorney discussion by asking Charles Johnson and Keith Wiener of Holland and Knight to answer several questions.

"When and where were you contacted about being the county attorney?" Oliver said. "What is your hourly rate? Have you done any work for Hall County already?"

Johnson said he was contacted by Bell before Jan. 1 about the position. Though he never answered how much the county would be billed for each session, Johnson said his average hourly charge falls between $360 and $400, higher than Blalock's $150 charge.

Bell moved that the interim position be capped at $10,000 in fees until the commission could discuss a fair rate and advertise a request for proposal for the position.

Oliver took over the discussion, ignoring when Lutz or Bell said he wasn't following Robert's Rules of Order, a set of rules that govern meetings, including how long discussions can occur when a motion is waiting for a vote.

"We're running this right now, and then you can have your opportunity to speak," Oliver said as residents murmured and clapped. "The people here deserve to know what you're charging."

As the tense moments continued, Oliver injected short comments and humor throughout the discussions.

"Grab another chair and sit up there since we're paying you both tonight," he said to Johnson and Wiener, directing them to sit in Blalock's old seat.

As the commissioners debated Connell's appointment, Oliver asked questions about why he and Powell weren't a part of the conversation, and Bell explained he approached Connell to get better expertise for the same price.

"I want to know the timetable. In the transparency of government, when did we decide to get Jock? When Charley came on board, he was in human resources, not out of the blue," Oliver said. "I speak highly of Jock, and he knows that."

Connell will serve as interim county administrator seat for a six-month period.

"I feel good to be here, and I continue to emphasize over and over that I'm here for the interim," Connell said after the meeting. "I'm here for the whole board, and I hope that over the next six months, as they form their own governing relationships, I can help get them where they need to be."

The group also discussed the legality of bringing a new appointment to the Hall County Tax Assessors Board.

In a Nov. 11 meeting, Jeff Benefield was reappointed to the board before his term expired Dec. 31. Lutz moved to appoint Paul Barnes on Thursday instead, but Oliver asked to send the question to the state attorney general's office before moving forward.

"We're in a new county, aren't we?" he said with a smile as the debate continued.

As a compromise, the group agreed to take the legal question to the attorney general's office and leave the seat vacant. If not answered by the attorney general in 90 days, Barnes would fill the seat. All but Powell agreed.

The five agreed on two things: Avery Niles and Heather Coggins will keep their jobs as warden and county clerk, respectively. And county employees won't see any pay cuts this year. The audience cheered.

"It's been rumored, and that is not going to happen," Oliver said. "I can promise you that. I will never support it."

Powell asked to make a final comment before the meeting adjourned.

"The past couple of days have been a whirlwind for everybody. Trust is a direct reflection of how we conduct ourselves," he said.

"I never thought working with new commissioners would be without challenges, but now I'm just afraid it'll take quite a while until trust is reinstated. Thank you for sharing your opinions and taking time to come out, and please continue to be informed and be involved in your county government."