Flathead commissioners consider making election administrator an appointed post under county administrator

County Administrator Pete Melnick opened discussion of a proposal to move the county’s election-administration duties out of the clerk-and-recorder office and make the election administrator an appointed position under the county administrator.

“Debbie Pearson, the clerk and recorder, had approached me… to talk about potentially moving the election administrator out of her responsibilities and into yours,” Melnick said, introducing the request and saying he did not expect a decision that day.

Vandy, the presenter of the written proposal, told commissioners the shift is prompted by recent statutory changes and the growing complexity of elections. “The clerk and recorder has always been the elected official over elections,” Vandy said, adding that modern elections are more frequent and legally complicated and “there is no room for any partisan politics” in administering them.

Vandy listed the expected benefits: an appointed administrator would be selected through a formal hiring process with minimum qualifications; provide operational continuity and succession planning; reduce perceived conflicts because the officeholder would not be a partisan candidate; and improve oversight and fiscal responsibility by consolidating election management under a single appointed administrator.

Commissioners asked practical questions about staffing and interdepartmental support. Vandy said staff-sharing would continue and that a job-description rewrite and retitling of the elections manager to election administrator would be the primary HR actions: “We are proposing a job description rewrite and a retitling of the election manager position,” Vandy said.

Tammy summarized a salary survey and projected budget impacts. She reported the current elections manager is paid $76,733 annually (about $103,000 with benefits) and outlined three grade options for a department‑head pay scale that would raise first‑year compensation by roughly $4,500 (grade 42), $7,400 (grade 43) or $10,000 (grade 44).

Commissioners discussed legal and timing constraints. Vandy noted a recent change in state law affects who may manage the position and argued the county should act before the clerk-and-recorder filing period opens in mid‑January so potential candidates know the office’s scope. Commissioners also raised concerns about leaving procedural safeguards in writing: one commissioner asked whether memoranda of understanding would be needed to ensure departments commit staff during elections.

No formal motion or vote was taken. The board asked staff to review and revise the draft resolution and return suggested edits to the county administrator for placement on a future agenda. Pete Melnick said he will work with staff and the association as needed and that the board will consider the draft resolution at an upcoming meeting.