The Kalamazoo County Commission has taken a decisive step toward hiring a new county administrator. Board members voted 7 to 4 on Thursday to offer the job to Terrence Neuzil, the elected supervisor of Johnson County, Iowa.
Neuzil emerged as a favorite early in discussions on Thursday. So did Kalamazoo County administrator Mary Balkema, especially among Republicans on the Board. Ultimately, the six Democrats on the Commission voted for Neuzil as did Republican Rogier Tuinier.
Board chair John Taylor says he liked what he heard in Neuzil’s interview.
"When he started talking about the unemployment rate, when he started talking about the public-private partnership, when he started talking about coordinating with other counties, it really inspired me," Taylor says.
Some commissioners said Neuzil would need a long time to learn the ropes of Michigan county government, but Taylor disagrees.
"The real issues, the core issues are the same. It’s intergovernmental cooperation. How do you get two different entities at the same table and realize that it can be a win-win benefit with collaboration," he says.
Taylor says Neuzil told him a phone call after the meeting that he would accept the post. The commission still has to consider a salary and benefits package.
Former county administrator Peter Battani resigned last fall and the post has gone unfilled since then.
