Officials will share administrator’s duties
LOCAL GOVERNMENT /
Eighteen months ago, Delaware County commissioners praised the hiring of new county Administrator Ferzan Ahmed, a former district director of the Ohio Department of Transportation.
The county was “extremely fortunate” to have Ahmed, Commissioner Gary Merrell said at the time. Ahmed, and other recent hires “positions our county for the challenges we will face for years to come.”
But after Ahmed, 53, decided last month to leave the $140,000-a-year post for a private-sector job, the county has decided it doesn’t need a full-time administrator.
Instead, it is appointing a team of three current officials to replace Ahmend, whose last day is Friday.
Michael Frommer, who heads the county’s regional sewer district, will take the title, while maintaining his existing duties. He will function as the commissioners’ legal representative.
Dawn Huston, who currently oversees administration, human resources and other duties, will be a deputy administrator. Seiji Kille, who oversees finance, emergency management and building facilities along with other tasks, will be the other deputy.
So why did the county eliminate such a high-profile, executive position that oversees more than 1,000 employees and a nearly $100 million budget?
According to a news release, the commissioners “felt the time was right to pause and think about how to best structure and position the organization for future success.”
Commissioner Jeff Benton has said that “a team of three experienced directors who are already in place here” better reflects how the commissioners’ office already functions and streamlines decision-making.
“In reality, our operations won’t change significantly,” Benton said, “but we think that formalizing this structure will make it easier for the public to access leadership when they need to, while also making sure we don’t overburden one administrator with too many people reporting directly to her or him.”
Frommer has been with the county since 2015. Huston and Kille have been with the county for 25 and 16 years, respectively. All three will retain their current salaries.