Administrator’s Office
County Administration Building
300 Monroe Avenue NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2206
Phone: (616) 632-7570
Fax: (616) 632-7565
Mission Statement
To manage and support county operations as directed by the Board of Commissioners in order to efficiently deliver services to citizens.
Overview
The County Administrator/Controller is appointed by the Board of Commissioners to implement Board policies, to oversee the daily activities of the County, to serve as the Chief Administrative and Financial Officer, and to supervise functions that report to the Board of Commissioners. The 12-member staff of the office provides professional support, project management, and policy recommendations for the Administrator/Controller and the Board. This office includes the County’s Corporate Counsel.
The Administrator’s Office is responsible for assisting the Board in meeting identified goals; developing annual budget recommendations; preparing agenda items for the Board of Commissioners; developing procedures to accompany Board policies; providing legal counsel in all legal County matters; conducting program, departmental, and management analyses; coordinating the pursuit of the Board’s legislative agenda; and providing general administrative support. The Administrator’s Office is also responsible for continuing several ongoing initiatives and projects adopted by the Board of Commissioners. The Executive Assistant to the Board of Commissioners provides administrative support in a liaison role to and for the Board of Commissioners, the County Administration, and County departments.
Strategic Goals
- Develop internal and external communications strategy
- Maintain/enhance partnerships and relationships that support the mission of Kent County government
- Reduce cost of Kent County government operations
- Politically advocate to protect current sources of revenue from legislative change.
Goals
- Ensure effective communication between the Board of Commissioners, departments/agencies, the judiciary, and the public
- Maintain the long-term financial health of the County
- Create and foster a culture that promotes creative and strategic thinking to achieve the County’s Mission
- Provide efficient, accurate, effective and timely information flow to/from commissioners and departments
- Encourage the establishment of strategic, public/private, intergovernmental and interdepartmental partnerships
- Provide efficient, accurate, effective, and timely information to the Board and public
2011 Adopted Uses: $2,640,654
2011 Adopted Revenues: $881,027
Selected Performance Measures
Performance Measure |
2008 Actual |
2009 Actual |
2010 Actual |
2011 Expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of postponed Committee or Board action requests due to insufficient or inaccurate information |
0.04% | 0.07% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Percent of matters referred to outside counsel due to lack of time
for internal staff to complete within requested deadline |
0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dollars saved or leveraged as a result of collaboration with other agencies | $3,077,900 | $2,019,184 | $2,545,516 | $500,000 |
| Percent of Commissioners requests for information responded to within two working days |
98.00% | 97.00% | 98.00% | 100.00% |
| Percent of Standing Committee agendas provided to departments 3 days before meeting |
100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| Percent of citizen information requests responded to same day | 98.00% | 98.00% | 99.00% | 100.00% |
| Percent of Standing Committee minutes distributed
to Commissioners within 7 days of committee meeting |
100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| Number of programs or collaborative partnerships developed | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| General fund cost per resident for all County services | $237.00 | $228.00 | $215.00 | $235.00 |
Department History of Uses
| Uses |
2008 Actual |
2009 Adopted |
2010 Adopted |
2011 Adopted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Personnel |
$1,753,518 |
$1,734,237 |
$1,766,424 |
$1,813,610 |
Commodities |
22,761 |
22,651 |
20,900 |
20,575 |
Contractual |
382,418 |
466,158 |
382,134 |
319,469 |
Operating Capital |
2,555 |
18,939 |
1,500 |
1,500 |
Special Projects |
295,123 |
64,025 |
- |
485,500 |
Total Uses |
$2,456,376 |
$2,306,011 |
$2,170,958 |
$2,640,654 |
Personnel FTE |
13.5 |
13.5 |
12.4 |
12.4 |
| Elected Officials | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
Significant Budget Issues
The 2011 Budget includes a reduction in the funds available for management studies and outside legal counsel. The budget does not include funds for participation in the Grand Valley Metro Council after October 1, 2011.
Significant Accomplishments
For the first time in nine years, the Kent County Administrator/Controller proposed, and the Board of Commissioner’s passed, a structurally balanced budget (whereby estimated revenues equal proposed expenses). Significant cuts were made to various departments including a reduction of 60 FTE positions, but due to a voluntary retirement incentive program and positions that have not been filled, the actual number of employee reductions was limited to 20.
The County’s triple-A credit rating was reaffirmed by Moody’s Investor Services and Standard & Poor’s. This is the twelfth consecutive year that Kent County has held the highest credit rating from both agencies.
The County is scheduled to return to the County Revenue Sharing Formula in early FY2011 since its Revenue Sharing Reserve Fund will be fully depleted. Over the past five years, the County Administrator/Controller and his Office staff have advocated with State legislators that county revenue sharing throughout Michigan should not be reduced and funded at 100% of pre-revenue reserve sharing levels. The FY2011 State of Michigan budget includes appropriations that will ensure funding at 100% levels for counties scheduled to exhaust their revenue reserve fund.
The long-standing dispute between the City of Rockford and Kent County over the location of the 63rd District Court was resolved. The Court of Appeals ruled in Kent County’s favor over the relocation of the Court, the Michigan Supreme Court determined to not hear the appeal filed by the City of Rockford, and legislation was passed that increased the population threshold for the location of district courts of the second class.
Over 100 hours of staff time invested in continuing community based pro bono legal services coordinated through the Grand Rapids Bar Association.
A new Interdepartmental Collaboration Work Group was created to pursue innovation, collaboration and operational efficiencies. The group includes 25 department directors, deputy directors, and division managers representing a broad spectrum of the County.
History of Uses (in millions)
