County board accepts employment contract for new administrator
Feb. 18—The Freeborn County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday accepted the employment contract for the county's new administrator.
Melanie Aeschliman, who is currently the Blooming Prairie city administrator, was one of four finalists interviewed for the position.
She is slated to begin March 24 in the new role.
The Freeborn County board voted 4-1 in January to offer the position to Aeschliman, with Commissioner Chris Shoff being the lone dissenting vote. The county presented an initial offer, which Aeschliman declined, and the board approved a counter offer in a closed session last week.
According to the contract, Aeschliman will receive a starting salary of $162,498 per year and will have an initial performance review after six months, then at 12 months and annually after that.
She will receive any cost-of-living adjustments awarded to other non-union employees and will be eligible for step increases in accordance with all county employees and personnel policies in 2025 and years following.
She also will be credited with 15 days of accrued paid time off and will accrue PTO leave in accordance with the county's personnel policy for an employee who has five years of county service.
She will also have a cell phone with hotspot service as well as a laptop for county work and will be reimbursed for mileage at the current IRS mileage reimbursement for work-related travel.
The contract states the county may terminate the agreement at any time and for any reason, and if this happens, the county will pay Aeschliman a lump sum cash payment equal to four months salary and provide insurance benefits for three months following the termination. She would not be entitled to the severance if terminated as a result of malfeasance in the position. If this happened, she would be placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome.
Aeschliman is pursuing a doctorate in public administration and before becoming city administrator in Blooming Prairie worked for about a year as state supervisor of assessments for the state of North Dakota and as director of planning and as an assessor for 4 1/2 years with the Kenai Peninsula Borough in Soldotna, Alaska.
Originally from Rushford, Aeschliman on the day of her initial interview in Freeborn County stated she is passionate about government and would like to end up in a size of community like Freeborn County to finish her career. She has a bachelor's degree in organizational management in human resources administration and a master's degree in public administration.
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