Dunn County executive committee backs in-house public search for next county manager

The Dunn County Executive Committee voted March 12 to follow Human Resources’ recommendation to conduct a public recruitment, handled by county HR staff, for the county manager position and to proceed on a timeline aimed at selecting a candidate by June.

The HR recommendation, presented by Jenna (Human Resources staff), called for posting the position broadly for about a month, reviewing candidates in mid-April through May, holding the first round of interviews May 14 and using a subcommittee—Chair McCullough, Vice Chair Steen and Supervisor Hedlund—to help manage scheduling and screening. Jenna said the committee recommended an in‑house public search because it was “more cost effective” than hiring a third‑party search firm and would allow a fair and competitive evaluation of applicants.

Why it matters: The county will replace the current county manager as she retires, and the committee’s decision establishes procedure, timeline and initial salary guidance before the full board considers an appointment. The committee directed HR to proceed and voted to transmit the selection recommendation process to the board.

Committee members discussed alternatives including hiring an outside firm, an internal‑only posting and direct promotion without recruitment. Several supervisors said they preferred the in‑house public search after weighing cost and transparency. Supervisor Morehouse and Supervisor Bauer spoke in support of following HR’s plan; Supervisor Quinn moved to accept the HR recommendation and Supervisor Warhus seconded. The motion passed by voice vote.

The HR presentation included a suggested salary posting range of $130,000 to $171,000, with flexibility for negotiation based on experience and education. Jenna said the committee would perform background checks and reference checks on finalists and that the executive committee would decide whether a second round of interviews was needed before forwarding a candidate to the full county board for final appointment.

Next steps: the executive subcommittee will meet to finalize interview questions and timeline; the executive committee expects to vote on a candidate in June and for the full county board to consider the appointment later that month, with a target start date in mid‑July if the selected candidate must give notice to a current employer.

Ending: The committee voted to proceed as presented; HR will post the job and begin recruitment under the agreed timeline.