As the Cass County Board of Commissioners continues its search for a temporary replacement for the county administrator, we urge the board to think carefully about its next steps.

Tasked with finding a worthy candidate willing to enter a job with no definite expiration date, we understand how challenging this situation is. Nonetheless, we feel it is important that the board not be hasty in finding a replacement for Administrator Roger Fraser, as even a short stint in a leadership position has the potential to cause significant damage if an individual is not qualified or capable of taking on the responsibilities.

We understand Commissioner Bob Ziliak’s concerns about the interim’s amount of control, and commend him for his cautious thinking, but wonder why the commissioners have not been taking the same precautions with the permanent position.

It is the responsibility of the county administrator to report to the board of commissioners, and if any of the members have concerns about how the administrator is handling county business, he or she is responsible for inquiring about those issues.

While the other commissioners’ hesitation to “micromanage” the county leader is understandable (and commendable), we hope the board would hold the temporary administrator to the same standards as they would the permanent county administrator.

We believe there is a difference between accountability and micromanagement, and as our county’s leaders, the board of commissioners are responsible as elected officials to hold non-elected officials accountable.

Moving forward, we encourage the commissioners to proceed with caution, and hope they will take these concerns into consideration.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.