County Administration
The County Administrator leads the daily operations of the County government center in meeting the needs of the citizens of Sussex County. The County Administrator reports to a six member Board of Supervisors. The office carries policies determined by the Board of Supervisors, recommends policies and set priorities for consideration by the Board 
concerning programs and services for the citizens. The Deputy County Administrator oversees the daily operations of Animal Control, Building Inspections, Disaster Relief, Employee Benefits, Environmental Inspections, Housing Community Development Block Grants, Human Resources, Indoor Plumbing Programs, Maintenance, Planning, Public Safety, Planning and Unemployment.
The County Administrator serves as liasion for the Board of Supervisors, Constitutional Officers, Courts and Registrar. The County Administrator is also responsible for the compliments and complaints from the citizens. The Assistant to the County Administrator coordinates the day-to-day activities of the County Administrator's Office, serves as Deputy Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, oversees special events, Vehicle Inventory and Surplus Property.
The Assistant to the County Administrator is responsible for coordinating the official meetings of the Board of Supervisors and for preserving the minutes and records of the Board. Official meetings include regular Board meetings, Board Committees, Schools Board liaison meetings and all other meeting where three or more Board members plan to be present.
Thomas E. Harris, County Administrator
Mr. Thomas E. Harris is a native Virginian, born in Richmond and raised in the suburbs of Henrico County. He has a B.S. Degree in Recreation Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University; and while pursuing a Master’s Degree at Arizona State University, taught classes as a graduate assistant in Recreational Programming, Community Education, Leisure Education and Public Administration.
Tom has worked in Local Government since 1972, beginning as a part-time playground supervisor in Henrico, Virginia and was honored by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) with his thirty year “service award” on October 10, 2007 at the 2007 Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Tom has served as Recreation Director in Henry County and Caroline County, Virginia as well as Superior, Arizona; and as Secretary-Treasurer for the Virginia Parks and Recreation Administrators Association.
Additionally, he has worked both as a private consultant and with the State of Virginia in developing cost-efficient delivery services throughout the Commonwealth.
Mr. Harris returned to Virginia to assume the position of Town Manager in Dumfries (Prince William County) in April of 1990 following three years of service in Superior, Arizona. Tom served as County Administrator in Northampton County from September 1993 to January 1999. Under his administration Northampton County established itself as a National Model for Rural Sustainable Development. With Tom’s focus on consensus building, cooperation and developing political will, Northampton’s Community Development Plan established environmental protection, social equity and economic viability as community priorities. This commitment to Smart Growth, Sustainability and Livable Communities resulted in the establishment of the Northampton County Sustainable Development Action Strategy and the Nation’s first "Eco-Industrial Park: The Port of Cape Charles Sustainable Technologies Industrial Park". This multi-faceted planning initiative received awards from the National Association of Counties (NACO), the Chesapeake Bay Alliance, and the President’s Council on Sustainable Development and in June of 1997, Mr. Harris was personally honored when he was selected as the first local government private sector advisor to the United States delegation for the United Nations Earth Summit II Special Session.
Again focusing on the principles of Smart Growth and Sustainable Development, as well as the enormous success in Northampton County Mr. Harris helped shape the future of one of the State’s fastest growing Counties (King George) when he was appointed County Administrator and General Manager of the County Service Authority in 1999. In 2002 Tom left Virginia for a brief but highly educational stint in Mississippi Local Government.
Tom has served on the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) Smart Growth Advisory Committee and has spoken throughout the United States on Sustainable Community and Economic Development, Smart Growth, Strategic Planning, Community Consensus Building, and the role of Local Government by championing the development of “Political Will” by elected officials as well as by focusing on the model programs and successes in both Northampton and King George Counties, Virginia.
Mr. Harris has spoken at several National Conferences, spent two weeks in the United Kingdom on an ICMA Local Government exchange program, has authored several articles on Sustainable Development and/or Local Government and is an active member of the Virginia Local Government Managers Association (VLGMA).
Mr. Harris served as Clifton Forge’s Town Manager from February 1, 2003 to June 15, 2007 where he was able to reverse seven years of annual Town deficits (prior to his arrival) into five Fiscal Years of positive fund balances.
Most recently, Tom served as County Administrator for Amelia County, Virginia from June 18, 2007 to July 31, 2011 when he assumed the position of County Administrator of Sussex County.
Mr. Harris is married to the lovely Rebecca S. Harris and has three children, Ariel Elizabeth (13 years old), Corinne Nicole, an underwriter for J.P. Morgan in Scottsdale, Arizona and Ian Bysshe, a Human Rights Attorney in New York and two step children Camille K. Charles, who works in the Banking Industry in Richmond and David “Tyler” Charles, an Apprentice Electrician in Covington Virginia.
In his spare time, Tom is both an accomplished painter and writer.
