County Manager Steve Mokrohisky announced Friday afternoon that he has accepted the position of Lane County (Ore.) administrator after several days of deliberation.
In a note to elected officials and county employees, Mokrohisky said the “decision to leave has proved to be the hardest of our lives.”
He and his wife, Liz, have two young daughters.
“Our decision to come to Douglas County over five years ago was easy, but the decision to leave has proved to be the hardest of our lives,” he said.
“This community has become our home, a place where we have raised our children, formed life-long friendships and experienced great successes.”
Mokrohisky did not give a specific date of departure, but said he would continue to serve as Douglas County manager through the April budget workshops.
“The quality of leaders and staff throughout our organization is second to none,” he said. “The support that my family has received from the Board of Commissioners, businesses, residents and all of you is overwhelming and a truly unique experience for us. We have done so many great things together and I know that progress will continue.”
In thanking his colleagues, Mokrohisky said Douglas County was in a strong position to move forward and achieve great successes “because of the people who are committed to making this the best place it can be.”
Mokrohisky, 36, was the top pick out of five candidates for the Oregon job.
Lane County is located in west central Oregon and has a population of roughly 350,000 people.
The advertised salary is $150,000-$175,000, plus benefits.
In July 2013, commissioners approved a two-year contract at $125,000 minus a salary reduction passed on to all employees which brought his pay to $120,000.
He was hired as assistant Douglas County manager in 2009 from Milwaukee County, Wis., where he was director of information technology business services.
When County Manager T. Michael Brown left for Hillsboro, Ore., in 2011, county commissioners selected Mokrohisky to succeed him.
Mokrohisky already had an impressive record when he stepped into the county manager’s shoes, including privatization of the Minden-Tahoe Airport and successful passage of the 2010 airport weight ordinance, an issue debated in the community for decades.
He was also instrumental in bringing the county’s budget process under control, including a deal with county employees that helped balance the budget.
His assistant county manager, Christine Vuletich, was hired in 2012.
Mokrohisky participates in a question-and-answer blog hosted by The Record-Courier’s Running Commentary.
Mokrohisky said he would work with commissioners and staff over the next several weeks to develop a transition plan.
