OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — After a contentious discussion, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to appoint deputy administrator Ben Wetmore to the interim administrator position.
Wetmore is stepping in after the last interim administrator, Jon Anderson, resigned unexpectedly.
Anderson had been filling in as interim county administrator since March. He already resigned once, but agreed to stay on back in September while the board began its search for a permanent replacement.
However, the board said Anderson has resigned a second time, effective immediately, because of his other job commitments.
Wednesday night, the board held a special meeting to replace Anderson with deputy administrator Ben Wetmore. Discussion lasted just over an hour.
Wetmore is known for his far-right political leanings. He was hired by former county administrator John Gibbs, who was fired in February.
Several commissioners raised concerns about the hiring power Wetmore will have that won't be given to the permanent administrator, according to the job listing.
Some commissioners also raised concerns about a county survey that reportedly revealed a vast majority of Ottawa County employees do not trust the current board's leadership or Wetmore.
Commissioner Jacob Bonnema addressed Wetmore on these concerns directly.
"This decision is a very big decision. It holds a lot of power. It demands a lot of trust, Mr. Wetmore," Bonnema said. "You will have access to people's personal information, a lot of private content that a lot of people don't trust you to have access to. I expect you, should this vote go your way, to prove all of these department heads wrong."
Despite pushback, the resolution to appoint Wetmore to the role was approved in a close 6 to 5 vote. Every board member part of the Ottawa Impact political action committee (PAC) voted yes, except for Rebekah Curran.
A search for a permanent county administrator is currently underway. The job posting was posted online Wednesday.
The position has been vacant since Gibbs was fired by the board in February.