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Task force weighs hiring a county administrator, consolidation options and small-town outreach
Summary
Members discussed whether to pursue consolidation of overlapping services or hire a county manager to coordinate development, and agreed to invite small-town representatives and consider evening meetings to boost participation.
Task force members discussed governance options—ranging from consolidating duplicate county and city functions (HR, IT, planning) to hiring a county administrator or manager to coordinate development and outreach. Speakers noted state legal constraints and historic political resistance to formal consolidation of counties or services, but said targeted consolidation or shared services might still yield savings.
One participant recommended the county study the value of a dedicated staff position to market the county, shepherd projects and act as a single point of contact for developers. Another member said that while hiring a county manager would be an investment, the county may not be able to afford the role now but should evaluate cost/benefit.
The task force also resolved to do more small-town outreach: members suggested evening meetings to accommodate residents who work daytime hours and proposed inviting townships such as Utica to gather local perspectives. Several members volunteered to reach out to small towns and report feedback at the next meeting.
No formal decision on hiring or consolidation was made; members asked staff to collect information and return recommendations to the full group.
