Riley County commissioners direct staff to craft county administrator proposal after consultant presentation

A consultant’s presentation and lengthy discussion at the April 9 Riley County Commission meeting ended with commissioners asking staff to draft a county administrator job description, pay options and an implementation timeline.

Mike Dodson, hired as a governance consultant, told the commission an administrator could centralize daily coordination among departments and provide the county with an administrative counterpart to city and university managers. Dodson said the role would help with strategic planning, intergovernmental relations and continuity through elections, and he recommended a task force to develop a final position description and timeline.

The proposal prompted detailed questions from commissioners and county staff about how much authority a new administrator should have. Several commissioners and the county counselor raised concerns about whether the administrator would simply coordinate operations or hold supervisory authority over department heads. County Counselor Jacob (last name not specified in the record) noted that statutory responsibilities for some offices—especially the county counselor—create potential conflicts if those offices report structurally to an administrator. Human Resources Director Elizabeth Ward said a precise list of duties and reporting relationships is necessary to attract candidates who match the board’s expectations.

Commissioners asked staff to produce concrete materials before any formal vote: a draft job description, pay-band recommendations for the administrator position, and a proposed process for recruitment and appointment. They agreed to schedule a work session to review the draft and related budget impacts; the record shows the board requested staff present administrator budget options as part of budget hearings.

No final decision was made at the meeting. Commissioners emphasized that hiring or creating the position would be subject to the board’s approval and statutory requirements and that the administrator, if established, would ultimately be accountable to the commission. The board directed staff to return with a draft and to involve outside stakeholders and department heads in the design process.