SHAWANO, WI- The Shawano County Board spent significant time Wednesday discussing the future role and authority of a proposed administrative coordinator position, particularly whether department heads should report directly to the role.
Supervisors heard differing recommendations from the Executive Committee and the Rules Committee. The Executive Committee favored a liaison-style position with no direct reports, while the Rules Committee had included language in the proposed rule book stating department heads would report to the administrative coordinator.
Board members voiced a range of opinions during the discussion. Some supervisors said a centralized administrator could help coordinate departments and maintain a chain of command, while others argued department heads already report to committees and the full board, and warned against concentrating too much authority in a single position.
Several supervisors emphasized they had not yet reviewed the final job description and wanted more time before making a final decision on reporting structure. Corporation counsel advised the board that removing the reporting language from the rule book would allow the issue to be addressed later through the position description without requiring another ordinance change.
The board ultimately voted to remove the language requiring department heads to report to the administrative coordinator. Supervisors then approved the county board rule book as amended, leaving the reporting structure to be decided when the job description returns for discussion at a future meeting.
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