Gratiot County commissioners set pay range, qualifications and timeline to recruit next county administrator

The Gratiot County Board of Commissioners agreed at a meeting to begin recruitment for a new county administrator, setting a recommended salary range of $120,000–$140,000 (with several commissioners endorsing a $130,000 starting figure), and directing a hired recruitment consultant to prepare and place an advertisement and screen applicants.

The agreement followed a detailed discussion of the administrator’s likely responsibilities and the county’s fiscal and operational challenges, including fluctuating tax revenue tied to wind and solar projects, recent airport management changes, and long-term river and Superfund-site cleanup needs. Commissioners asked the recruiter to circulate the ad broadly through county- and municipal-focused channels and the International City/County Management Association and to return with screened candidates for the board to select finalists.

Commissioners said salary competitiveness is central to attracting qualified applicants. After reviewing a staffing and market summary prepared for the board, they settled on a salary band between $120,000 and $140,000, with multiple commissioners expressing support for listing $130,000 as the advertised starting salary or preferred starting point. The board also instructed staff and the consultant to include contract language that clarifies eligibility for salary increases tied to performance, to help with retention.

On minimum qualifications the board coalesced around a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and a minimum of five years of local government management experience as a baseline; commissioners noted that candidates with broader county-level experience, finance skills or experience managing an airport would be preferred. Commissioners listed a set of preferred skills and traits: strong financial acumen, experience with local government operations, ability to build intergovernmental relationships, familiarity with green‑energy project issues, strong communication and transparency, technology competence, and a temperament described as community-oriented, resilient and not easily swayed.

The board reviewed recruitment logistics and timing. A consultant will draft the ad, collect applications, conduct initial phone interviews (about an hour each), and forward a pool of qualified candidates for the board’s review. Commissioners were told a typical advertising period would run several weeks; the consultant estimated a roughly seven-week timeline from advertising to finalist selection, with interviews likely in October and a potential formal hiring decision and start date occurring in October or November depending on background checks and notice periods. The board said it would require background checks, criminal and credit checks and reference verification for finalists before finalizing any employment offer.

Commissioners framed the search against several county priorities that the next administrator will be expected to address: forecasting and managing county revenue sensitive to depreciation and repowering cycles for wind and solar facilities (commissioners cited 417 wind turbines across multiple projects and two operational solar farms with a third under construction), managing the county airport (recently returned to county control), coordinating on large environmental challenges (including a longstanding chemical Superfund site and Pine River sedimentation and restoration needs), and guiding long-term intergovernmental and legislative engagement to protect county interests.

The board also asked the recruiter to include county images in the ad and to advertise on statewide and national municipal management platforms; board members said they would refer potential candidates. The consultant will send the draft advertisement to county staff for review before posting. Commissioners indicated they expect to review applicant materials in a future meeting and to convene interviews on a date to be scheduled.

Votes at the meeting included routine procedural items. The board approved the meeting agenda by voice vote and later moved to adjourn; both procedural motions passed by voice vote (tally not recorded in the transcript).