COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Board of Commissioners voted on Thursday morning to begin contract negotiations with former Meridian Township Manager Frank Walsh to be the next Branch County Administrator.
He was one of three finalists who were vying to succeed the retiring Bud Norman on January 1, 2025. The others were Assistant St. Joseph County administrator Jessica Miller and Lakeland Correctional Facility administrative manager John Morrell.
Four of the Commissioners voted for Walsh while Commissioner Alan McClellan voted for Miller.
Walsh thanked Commissioners for their support.
Commission Chair Tim Stoll said he will work with Chet Janik from the Michigan Leadership Institute on the contract.
The original intention was to have the winning candidate work with Norman for at least a couple of months but Stoll indicated that if the contract negotiations were successful, there was no time line as to when Walsh would start.
There were 38 applications submitted for the Branch County Administrators position.
Walsh resigned as Meridian Township manager on April 21 after 11 years on the job. The Meridian Township website said at the time that the resignation came, “following an investigation into formal, internal complaints regarding actions taken by Walsh in his role as Township Manager.” He was retained by the township as a consultant through the end of this year.
He was also a City Manager in St. Joseph and Cedar Springs.
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