Island County rehired Sean Morris as public health director; contract approved

The Island County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 28 approved an employment contract to rehire Sean Morris as the county’s public health director, with Morris scheduled to begin Feb. 3, 2025.

County staff described the contract as a standard department-head agreement with the pay identified and a modest increase in paid time off that reflects Morris’s years of experience. Catherine, a county staff member who presented the item, told commissioners that Morris had left the county several months earlier, applied to return and was recommended because his application was clearly the strongest candidate.

“The contract is pretty standard for our department head employment contracts. The pay is identified. There’s a little bit of an increase of PTO accrual based on Sean’s years of experience, and, otherwise, it’s fairly standard,” Catherine said.

Commissioners asked whether Morris would return at the same pay quartile. Catherine said he would return at the same quartile; the county’s pay range had been adjusted upward while he was away. Commissioners also noted that Morris’s absence of roughly six months was treated as no meaningful separation for purposes of the new contract.

A motion to approve the employment contract was made and seconded, and the board voted in favor by voice. The motion text on the record was to approve the employment contract with Sean Morris to perform the director of public health position. No amendments or conditions were stated on the record.

Morris’s start date was given on the record as Feb. 3, 2025. No salary amount or other compensation details were read into the public record during the discussion; the contract packet in the agenda materials lists pay but the exact figure was not stated during the live discussion.

The board moved from this item to the next agenda topics after the vote.