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Board names Lauren Cypher interim county administrator, rejects separation counteroffer and authorizes further negotiations
Summary
The Leelanau County Board appointed Lauren Cypher as interim county administrator and, after a closed session, unanimously rejected a July 17 counteroffer related to a proposed separation agreement and authorized the corporation counsel to continue negotiations and the chair to sign an agreement consistent with parameters discussed in closed session.
The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners appointed Lauren Cypher to serve as interim county administrator and later authorized continued negotiations on a separation agreement after rejecting a counteroffer.
On a roll-call vote the Board approved motion #188 to name Lauren Cypher interim county administrator. The motion passed 7–0. Later, following a closed session held under MCL 15.268(1)(h) to review a written attorney–client privileged legal opinion dated July 21, 2026, the Board unanimously voted to reject a counteroffer dated July 17, 2026 and directed Corporation Counsel to continue negotiations “consistent with the parameters discussed by the Board in closed session,” further authorizing the Board chair to execute a separation agreement that meets those parameters.
The personnel matter surfaced earlier in the meeting when Commissioner Alan Campbell read prepared statements referencing three written accounts alleging operational and conduct concerns in the Finance Department; Campbell said the Board had taken the submissions seriously and that investigations were completed but remained subject to attorney–client privilege. Campbell read a portion of one submitted statement: “Ultimately, the Administrator's disregard for the stability of the Finance Department created a level of operational risk I could no longer facilitate.”
Board Chair Steve Yoder and other commissioners did not provide additional public detail about the contents of the legal opinion, citing privilege. The motion to continue negotiations and authorize execution of a separation agreement passed 7–0 after the closed session. The Board indicated it would follow applicable legal processes and FOIA rules for any documents subject to disclosure.
