Riley County commissioners sign off on county administrator job description and timeline, target January start

Riley County commissioners reviewed a proposed county administrator position description and instructed staff to proceed with recruitment planning on May 14.

Elizabeth Ward, the county's human resources director, walked commissioners through the draft job description, suggested a professional pay grade (KK) for the role and recommended a hiring timeline: advertise mid‑September, interview in November and aim for a first‑week‑of‑January start so the new administrator can transition into the role ahead of routine winter/early‑year operations. Ward said recruitment collateral and some external marketing help would be needed because the county currently lacks a dedicated public information officer.

Commissioners discussed the scope of the administrator's authority, the need to preserve department heads' direct access to elected officials for certain operational or statutory matters, and supervisory boundaries for personnel decisions and policy referrals. They also asked HR and public works staff to research office‑location options and potential temporary space for the new hire during renovations.

The board signaled consensus to proceed with the position description and to authorize HR to begin recruiting and to bring back refined budget worksheets and benefit comparisons. No final offer or hire was made during the May 14 meeting.

What's next: HR will prepare recruiting materials, external postings and a budget worksheet for salary and benefits; staff will return with recommendations for office location and an implementation timetable.