Cass County commissioners authorize negotiations for county administrator candidate

The Cass County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize Chair Jones and designated county officials to enter negotiations with Mr. Jordan to develop an employment agreement for the county administrator position, contingent on a successful background check and final approval by the board. The vote followed a round of commissioner comments after recent candidate interviews.

The authorization allows Chair Jones, HR Director Daley, Interim Administrator/Finance Director Renfro and County Attorney Carl Buterer to negotiate terms on behalf of the county; the board must approve any final employment agreement before it takes effect. Several commissioners said they were comfortable moving forward after the interview process.

Commissioners spoke in turn after the interviews. Several said the candidate appeared open and approachable and had relevant local experience, listing work at a sheriff’s office, service with friend-of-the-court duties, prior township clerk responsibilities and past administrator roles in other Michigan counties. Commissioners also noted the candidate’s familiarity with open meetings and public-records requirements and said the candidate expressed interest in building working relationships with local villages.

Chair Jones introduced the negotiation authorization, saying, “I moved to authorize me and my designee of HR Director Daley, Interim Administrator/Finance Director Renfro and County Attorney Carl Buterer to enter into negotiations with Mr. Jordan to develop an employment agreement for the administrator position, all contingent upon a successful background check and final approval of proposed employment-agreement terms by the Cass County Board of Commissioners.”

Roll-call votes recorded the following responses: Commissioner Grace — yes; Commissioner Northrop — yes; Commissioner Rivera — yes; Chair Jones — yes; Commissioner Lawrence — yes; Commissioner Langley — yes; Commissioner Marchetti — yes; Commissioner Lee — yes. No nay votes or abstentions were recorded; the motion passed.

The motion as approved is limited to negotiation authority. The board emphasized that any hire remains conditional on a completed background check and formal approval of the finalized employment agreement at a subsequent public meeting. After the vote the chair opened and then closed the public-comment period, reminding speakers to address county business only.

Next steps on the timeline include the background check and preparation of a proposed employment agreement for board review and final action at a future meeting (dates not specified in the meeting record).