OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — The search for the next Ottawa County Administrator will have to continue as Jim Lower from Sparta has withdrawn his name from consideration.
He's the second candidate to do so in a week. On Thursday, City Manager James Freed from Port Huron, another top two candidate, informed the Ottawa County Board he no longer wished to proceed.
Commissioner Allison Miedema read Freed's letter out loud during Monday morning's Executive Transition Committee meeting that has been interviewing for the position.
"Our hopes and dreams for our families and our future is now and forever interwoven and been forged together by time and love," read Miedema. "Here in Port Huron we are home. This is where we want to raise our two little girls. No raise or promotion can change that fact."
Monday mornings withdrawal from consideration for Lower also came with a letter:
I was honored to be recruited by W Talent Solutions to apply for the Ottawa County Administrator position. From the beginning, the prospect of leaving my current position was a difficult one. However, I have always welcomed new challenges and sought opportunities to give back to the community.
Given the challenges facing Ottawa County, I believed I was uniquely qualified to help bridge the political divide that has caused so much turmoil. Throughout this process, I have been encouraged by many individuals—both inside and outside the Ottawa County organization—to strongly consider taking on this role. Following a positive interview, I was selected as a top-two candidate and soon became the sole candidate under consideration.
It was at this point that members of the incoming board majority began reaching out to me, both directly and indirectly, to express that I would not be given a fair opportunity to succeed in this role. They explained that, regardless of my qualifications or efforts, they were committed to terminating or otherwise forcing out whoever is hired. This would be the case even if it resulted in significant costs to taxpayers through severance payments, search fees, and renewed turmoil. While I was assured this was “not personal,” it would undoubtedly impact my family and career.
At this moment, I believe it is time for someone to take an off ramp. As such, I am withdrawing my name from consideration for this position. I do not wish to cost Ottawa County taxpayers additional money or be placed in a role set up for failure, thereby contributing further to division in the community.
I wish the outgoing and incoming Board of Commissioners, the other elected officials, staff, and the people of Ottawa County all the best.
I look forward to continuing my work with the Village of Sparta. We have exciting opportunities ahead, and I am grateful to remain part of this vibrant community.
After reading Lower's statement to the executive transition Committee, Board Chair Joe Moss made a statement regarding the withdrawal.
"As we just heard from Jim's statement, he has withdrawn after being intimidated by (John) Teeples and (Jacob) Bonnema, not because he did not have the proper qualifications to be county administrator, but because he participated in a transparent, public search process by the current board."
Joe Moss called out incoming board member John Teeples, and incumbent member Jacob Bonnema.
In a statement, Bonnema said about Moss's remarks:
"The accusation of intimidation was merely an unfounded opinion of Chairman Moss, lacking any factual basis. Unfortunately, this chair and the exclusively OI committee intentionally set these candidates up for failure. It appears they acted out of a self-serving desire for control. I am aware of several highly qualified candidates who chose not to apply at this time solely due to the current leadership environment. As January approaches, I want to express my gratitude to the candidates for their applications and encourage them to consider reapplying in the future. The outlook for Ottawa County is promising."
We reached out to Joe Moss about the future of the administrator search, as well as Jim Lower, but have not yet heard back.