Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Compensation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners agree on proposed salary range and term for county administrator contract
Summary
Franklin County commissioners discussed salary, term length and severance for the county administrator's employment agreement, indicating support for about $180,000 and a four‑year term with commensurate severance; staff will draft a contract for signature as soon as next week.
Franklin County commissioners on May 7 discussed and reached agreement on the primary terms of the county administrator's employment agreement — salary, contract length and severance — and asked staff to prepare a contract for rapid finalization.
County Administrator Brian Danzel had asked the board to address salary, length of term and severance publicly because the work involves taxpayer dollars. Commissioners expressed consistent support for a flat salary without bonuses. One commissioner said they would consider “$1.75 to $1.80” (hundreds of thousands) as a salary range; another explicitly recommended $180,000. A commissioner stated, “If Mister Danzel would be willing to accept a salary of a hundred and 80,000, I think that would be appropriate.” Commissioners subsequently confirmed agreement on a salary in that range.
On contract length and severance, Danzel described two linked options: a longer term with shorter severance or a shorter term with larger severance. He suggested a four‑year contract with roughly four months’ severance, or a two‑year contract with more substantial severance. Multiple commissioners responded that a four‑year term was acceptable; commissioners used the phrasing “4 and 4” during the discussion, which staff interpreted as a four‑year contract and four‑month severance. Danzel said staff could draft the final contract and that it could be ready for signature “as early as next week.”
Why it matters: the county is finalizing employment terms for an executive‑level position that oversees county operations and budgeting; the contract sets pay, job security, and severance obligations that affect future county personnel expenses.
Next steps and limitations: commissioners directed staff to draft the employment agreement consistent with the parameters discussed. The transcript records commissioners’ agreement on salary and term, but no formal signed contract was presented during the meeting; the administrator did not explicitly state acceptance of the final dollar figure on the record. Staff said the contract could be prepared for signature as early as the next week.
