County counselor explains difference between county administrator and county manager; recommends statutory approach

County counselor Jacob Hanson Riley spent the March 26 administrative session explaining the legal and procedural differences between the county administrator and county manager forms of government.

Riley said the county administrator position "is a position that's created by statute, has a list of duties under that statute, and the commission is able to pick and choose what duties they want." He recommended drafting any new administrator position using the statutory baseline because that approach provides a clear set of duties and flexibility.

By contrast Riley said adopting a county manager generally requires a charter ordinance or home-rule process that includes protest petitions, public hearings and other procedural checks. "The county manager also ... takes a charter ordinance or charter resolution, in order to establish," he said, noting that counties designated as urban areas with populations over thresholds typically use a charter commission model.

Elizabeth Ward, human resources director, told the commission she and Riley are preparing a checklist that breaks statutory duties into discrete pieces so commissioners can decide which duties to retain for elected department heads and which to assign to an administrator. Ward said she would share a draft to give commissioners a concrete starting point.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about duties such as attendance at meetings, budget presentation responsibilities, and whether some responsibilities could remain with department heads. Riley and Ward described the approach as a way to let the commission choose a tailored set of duties in a transparent public process.