The Cass County Board of Commissioners voted to place the county administrator on paid administrative leave pending the completion of an internal investigation into complaints about his conduct, then appointed Finance Director Jennifer Renfro as interim county administrator and authorized a 90-day performance evaluation of the administrator.

Board members took the personnel actions after hearing public comments alleging derogatory and discriminatory language by the county administrator and after brief closed-session consideration of a written legal opinion cited under the Michigan Open Meetings Act (MCL 15.2681[h], referenced in the meeting).

The leave motion — "to place the county administrator on paid administrative leave pending the completion of an internal investigation into the complaints made against him" — was made from the floor, seconded and passed by roll call. Commissioners who voted yes included Commissioner Barrera, Commissioner Northrop, Commissioner Grace, Commissioner Lee, Commissioner Langley, Commissioner Lawrence and Chair Jones; Commissioner Marchetti voted no. The board announced the motion passed after the roll call.

Shortly after that vote, the board voted 5–3 to appoint Finance Director Jennifer Renfro as interim county administrator “to fulfill the statutory duties of the county administrator and with the statutory authority of the county administrator until further board action.” Commissioners who voted yes on the interim appointment were Commissioner Lee, Commissioner Barrera, Chair Jones, Commissioner Lawrence and Commissioner Langley; Commissioners Marchetti, Northrop and Grace voted no. The board recorded the tally in open session.

The board subsequently approved a motion directing a 90-day performance evaluation of the county administrator to be conducted by the chair and vice chair. That motion passed 6–2 (Marchetti and one other commissioner voted no).

During the meeting several attendees and employees described the allegations as involving derogatory language directed at coworkers. An attendee who identified herself as having been present at the staff meeting said: "he did use the f word, not f u c k, but a derogatory 1 towards gays." A union-affiliated commenter described the remarks as "homophobic and religiously insensitive" and said they were made in front of multiple witnesses and could expose the county to liability.

The county administrator spoke during the public-comment period and acknowledged the remarks, saying, in part, "I always try to do the right thing, and I... I have completely failed to do that" and calling the episode a "wake up call." He also described generational differences in what is considered acceptable joking and said the comments were not intended to harm.

Board members and other speakers also discussed procedure. During public comment a speaker with experience in prosecution advised caution about excluding a responding employee from a closed session and said several veteran prosecutors believed exclusion could violate the Open Meetings Act; the board cited MCL 15.2681(h) when moving into closed session earlier in the meeting. The board conducted portions of the meeting in closed session to hear a written legal opinion, then returned to open session for the personnel votes.

The board approved the personnel actions and said the county will complete an internal investigation; no timeline for releasing the findings was given during the meeting. The motions and roll-call tallies were recorded on the public record in open session.

Votes at a glance:
- Motion to place the county administrator on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation — Passed (roll-call votes recorded; majority yes; one no from Commissioner Marchetti).
- Motion to appoint Jennifer Renfro as interim county administrator — Passed 5–3 (Yes: Lee, Barrera, Chair Jones, Lawrence, Langley; No: Marchetti, Northrop, Grace).
- Motion to conduct a 90-day performance evaluation of the county administrator directed by the chair and vice chair — Passed 6–2.

The board chair said the county will follow legal counsel's guidance and complete the investigation; commissioners and public commenters repeatedly emphasized protecting employees and ensuring a professional workplace. No disciplinary findings or investigatory conclusions were announced at the meeting.