The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The phrase, coined by French writer and critic Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, means that even when outward appearances, tools, or leaders shift, the core reality, human nature, or fundamental problems remain entirely constant.
This has played out Tuesday at one of the County Board's first meeting since the separation agreement was approved with former administrator Jim Dyer as county “Patriots” set their sights on someone new: District 1 Commissioner Rick Robbins.
The group relentlessly pestered Dyer during his 16-month tenure and this week called for an investigation.
Robbins denies the allegations and called for a full investigation which he's confident will exonerate him.
It’s more than coincidental that the most recent investigation puts Robbins in the bullseye.
Historically, the Leelanau County Clerk's office has served a number of functions well beyond the statutory duties of running elections, serving as clerk of the Circuit Court and register of vital records.
It was Robbins who in May 2021 presented a reorganization proposal to the board, urging the creation of two new departments: finance and human resources.
Those functions have previously been handled by the county clerk's office.
The move was based on a recommendation from county auditors who pointed out structural and technological shortcomings, recommending modern software upgrades and clearer segregation of accounting controls.
In October 2021, the Board of Commissioners approved resolutions shifting the accounting, payroll, and fixed-asset inventory duties to a dedicated department under the County Administrator.
However, the transition has since faced severe ongoing administrative turmoil, a veritable revolving door of high staff turnover, and Whistleblower complaints, which ultimately resulted in the departure of Dyer, the person charged to oversee the new departments.
Recently, there have been multiple issues with the finance department which have surfaced: failure to pay the bill for Undersheriff Jim Kiessel’s personal credit card used for department purposes and an accidental paying out of more than 800 hours vacation time to employees. Both occurred in July.
Who is next on the hit list? Stay tuned.
