High-Cost Administrator Search Scrapped—County Delays Administrator Hire until 2026; 4-H Building Faces $40K Sprinkler Surprise
- Trinity Gruenberg
- 17 minutes ago
- 1 min read
by Trinity Gruenberg
The Wadena County Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday, May 20.
Administrator Search
Interim Administrator Jennifer Westrum reported on recruitment firm options. Korn Ferry, as a potential candidate for the county administrator search, would charge one-third of the candidate’s annual salary for a position ranging from $140,000 to $170,000, which brought their cost to between $46,200 and $56,100.
The board expressed skepticism about the high cost. Commissioner Jon Kangas suggested that while Korn Ferry might have different recruitment methods, there was uncertainty about whether they would yield significantly better results than the previous search.
Commissioner Murlyn Kreklau was concerned about the expense, emphasizing that Wadena County has a limited tax base and might be unable to afford such a high-cost recruitment process. He suggested finding a coordinator who could be groomed into the role rather than spending extensive funds on a high-priced search.
Kreklau strongly advocated for a coordinator position instead of a full administrator, citing Wadena County’s limited tax base and past challenges. He suggested finding a younger, more adaptable candidate who could be groomed for the role rather than spending $150,000-$170,000 on an administrator....