After tough primary, Interim Ottawa County Administrator Jon Anderson resigns

OTTAWA COUNTY — Less than six months after being appointed to the role, and a month after losing the primary for Ottawa County Sheriff, Jon Anderson has submitted his resignation as Ottawa County Interim Administrator.

Anderson submitted a short notice to the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners on Friday, Sept. 6, formalizing his intent to resign.

“The purpose of this memorandum is to provide my final notice of resignation from the position of Interim County Administrator. With your approval, my last day with the county will be Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. I have accepted an offer of employment from my previous employer. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as the Interim County Administrator for Ottawa County,” the letter reads in full.

More: DeBoer, Clark, Matwiejczyk win primaries for Ottawa County offices

Anderson was appointed interim administrator on March 12, replacing John Gibbs, who was fired Feb. 29. Gibbs was hired Jan. 3, 2023, as one of the first actions by the slate of Ottawa Impact-affiliated commissioners.

The board was split on appointing Anderson, with an initial vote resulting in five commissioners, all affiliated with Ottawa Impact, voting for Anderson and four others voting for Fiscal Services Director Karen Karasinski. Two commissioners were absent. Other suggested candidates were Director of Strategic Impact Paul Sachs and Deputy Administrator Ben Wetmore.

At the time of his appointment, Anderson was seeking the Republican nomination for Ottawa County Sheriff. He lost to Eric DeBoer, who now runs unopposed in November. Ottawa Impact commissioners effectively lost their majority on the board in the primary, as not enough of them remain on the ballot in November to maintain it.

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Anderson is a retired sheriff's commander with 32 years of experience in law enforcement. He's lived in Michigan for eight years and in Ottawa County for the past five. He is co-owner of Bullet Hole Firearms and Training in Holland.

It's unclear how soon the board will be prepared to select a new interim, or permanent, administrator.

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Jon Anderson to resign as interim administrator of Ottawa County