SUTTONS BAY -- It's try, try again for Leelanau County officials in their search for an administrator.
Leelanau County commissioners withdrew the administrator job offer made to Jeff Thornton, Alpena County coordinator, when he tried to bargain for a bigger salary. Commissioners then gave runner-up candidate Randy Girard until Monday to decide whether he wanted the job.
"I've already decided. I'm not going to take the job," Girard said Friday afternoon. He's manager of Marquette Charter Township in the Upper Peninsula.
Girard, too, wanted a bigger paycheck than the offered $68,000 annual salary, a one-time $5,000 moving allowance and benefits. He said he would have had to take a big pay cut -- $12,000 a year -- to come to Leelanau County.
"It's a fairly substantial reduction in compensation," Girard said. "It's not an inexpensive area to live."
Thornton could not be reached for comment.
Leelanau County has been without an administrator since January. The vacancy was created when former administrator Dave Gill retired at the end of last year after more than seven years in the job.
Commissioners previously hired Robert Sobie, of Olivet, to start work in May at an annual $72,000 salary, but he changed his mind shortly before he was set to start.
Now, county officials have to decide what's next. They have a few options in mind, Commissioner Melinda Lautner said.
Officials may again interview finalist candidate Richard Eric Cline, former assistant city manager in Alpena, or they may offer him the job outright, Lautner said.
Commissioners also could interview some of the other 40 applicants from the latest search, or hire an interim administrator for an undetermined amount of time, perhaps a year, she said.
"We don't want to rush just to hurry up and get somebody in there. We want the right person," Lautner said.
Three candidates have now been offered the administrator job, but none accepted the job at the county's salary offer. Georgia Robertson, executive assistant to the office, has been serving as interim administrator during the long search.
Commissioners will meet on Tuesday during a special session to further discuss the ongoing vacancy. The meeting will begin at 8 a.m. at the Leelanau County Government Center, 8527 E. Government Center Drive in Suttons Bay Township.
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