Miami County commissioners eliminate economic development director position

The Miami County Board of County Commissioners voted 3-1 on Sept. 17 to eliminate the county’s economic development director position effective immediately.

Commissioners said the change is intended as a “reset” of how Miami County manages economic development work and that funds previously used for the position will remain in Miami County Economic Development to support future projects and partnerships.

“I think taking this opportunity as a reset is a good idea for us to be able to grapple with what that looks like and, give us the opportunity to redefine how the committee how the commission wants to participate in economic development,” Commissioner Tyler Vaughn said after the motion, citing recent commissioner-led projects such as land purchase for the Hillsdale EMS station and sewer coordination with Bucyrus, Spring Hill and Osawatomie as examples of work the commission has led. Commissioner Paul Scruggs seconded the motion.

Commissioners debated the change before the vote. One speaker at the meeting expressed concerns about the county’s operational capacity, saying the county should retain at least one employee to handle day-to-day economic development activities. The discussion also noted that county staff had asked cities to contribute in the last budget cycle and that the cities declined; commissioners said keeping the budget in the county could encourage city partnerships on future projects.

The motion to eliminate the position was moved by Commissioner Vaughn and seconded by Commissioner Scruggs. The board voted in favor by a tally of 3 yes, 1 no. The commission did not identify in the record specific next-step staffing assignments or a replacement process; commissioners said the commission itself would take a more direct role in economic development moving forward and that the budget would remain within Miami County Economic Development.

Meeting minutes show the decision followed two executive sessions that were noticed as relating to non-elected personnel under statute KSA 75-43-219(b)(1)(A). The record does not specify a timeline for reassigning duties formerly handled by the director or for any public notification about operational changes.