Committee plans anonymous administrator evaluation ahead of fall deadline

Ashland County's Executive Committee on June 25 agreed to move forward with an anonymous evaluation process for the county administrator, asking staff to develop an instrument and gather input from board members and department heads.

Members said they prefer anonymous submissions — paper or anonymized online forms — so respondents can offer candid feedback. The committee discussed procedures to ensure anonymity and asked the county administrator, Max, to explain how responses can be kept confidential and whether any returned surveys could be subject to public-records requests when handled within board procedures.

The group set an internal target to have draft questions and a process ready before the fall, noting the administrator’s contract currently runs through Sept. 27, 2026, and that the committee would aim to complete evaluations by September or October. Members also suggested adding an area for open-ended comments and asked that staff allow employees to propose evaluation topics so instruments capture operational realities as well as high-level board concerns.

No formal evaluation or report was released at the meeting; the committee requested staff and the administrator clarify legal and procedural safeguards around anonymity and then return with a proposed instrument and schedule.