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 11-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 adopted by previous Boards including the Prevention Initiative and the Justice Task Force. 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
- Encourage the establishment of strategic, public/private, intergovernmental and interdepartmental partnerships
- Provide efficient, accurate, effective, and timely information to the Board and public
2009 Adopted Uses: $2,420,783
2009 Adopted Revenues: $553,269
Selected Performance Measures
Performance Measure |
2006 Actual |
2007 Actual |
2008 Actual |
2009 Expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of postponed Committee or Board action requests due to insufficient or inaccurate information | 0.07% | 0.04% | 0.04% | <1.00% |
| Percent of matters referred to outside counsel due to lack of time for internal staff to complete within requested deadline | NA | NA | NA | <20.00% |
| Dollars saved or leveraged as a result of collaboration with other agencies | NA | $1,552,818 | $2,177,900 | $500,000 |
| Percent of Commissioners requests for information responded to within two working days | 98.00% | 98.00% | 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% | 98.00% | 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 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| General fund cost per resident for all County services | $226.00 | $227.00 | $226.00 | $245.00 |
Department History of Uses
| Uses |
2006 Actual |
2007 Actual |
2008 Adopted |
2009 Adopted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Personnel |
$1,635,003 |
$1,761,174 |
$1,810,844 |
$1,829,025 |
Commodities |
22,077 |
28,326 |
30,800 |
30,200 |
Contractual |
460,779 |
475,673 |
552,666 |
551,058 |
Operating Capital |
10,607 |
12,171 |
2,400 |
10,500 |
Special Projects |
25,000 |
- |
- |
- |
Total Uses |
$2,153,466 |
$2,277,344 |
$2,397,710 |
$2,420,783 |
Personnel FTE |
22 |
23 |
22.5 |
22.5 |
Significant Budget Issues
A considerable amount of time and activity during 2008 was devoted to positioning the County to address several long-tem issues, including Countywide dispatch, long-term facility needs, correctional facility capacity, and the cost of inmate medical services. Activities during the year included the successful renewal of the corrections detention millage (0.7893 mill) for the 2010-2029 period, and groundbreaking for the new 63rd District Court facility. During 2008, the Administrator’s Office staffed a number of Board of Commissioner Subcommittees leading to several significant policy changes, including creation of a Veteran’s Affairs Department, increasing the size of the Kent County Road Commission, and implementing a prescription drug card for distribution to residents. Background information was compiled and a plan was developed for the Board of Commissioners Priority Planning Sessions that are taking place in the Spring of 2009. Issues that will have impact on the County’s 2009 budget and beyond include State Revenue Sharing, the Childrens Rights Settlement, Child Care Fund, and various tax capture districts. A signficant number of complex and high-profile legal issues in several departments were addressed by the Corporate Counsel.
History of Uses (in millions)
