Now they've both been replaced, and the new team says it's ready to get the finances back in the black.

Salem's recently appointed City Manager Mark Jackson made an appearance at the Harrison County Commission meeting Thursday, familiarizing himself with those he'll be working with to get the city back on its financial feet.

“Commissioner Fazzini invited him, now we feel like we know him,” said Commissioner Frank “Chunki” Angotti. “And we want to make sure that we can help him and let him know that he has all the assets of the County Commission behind him.”

It wasn't only commissioners backing the new officials this morning.

Harrison County 911 Administrators say they're working to get Salem employees an inexpensive radio system because they don't have a way to communicate within the city or county.

The City Clerk position was filled on July 7.

Jackson says Jason Ferrell was the best of the 15 who applied.

The 25-year-old Fairmont State Graduate majored in Accounting and Business Management, specifically Finances.

“And I think with that being said, and knowing he's a well organized person, it'll definitely help us out,” said Jackson.

Farrell says he knew about the situation, but the depth of the debt came as a shock to him.

“I was familiar with it because I kept up with the news,” he explained. “But then when I started actually reading the financials, that was the big ...wow.”

So what's next for Salem's financial recovery team?

“The first thing right now is just crisis management, trying to get caught up, and working on the relationships with our vendors,” said Jackson.