Ottawa County boards settles ex-administrator John Gibbs' lawsuit for $190,000
OLIVE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Ottawa County will pay $190,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by former Administrator John Gibbs, who sued after he was fired.
The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners OK'd the settlement in a 7-4 vote at its . It was discussed in open session after a vote to enter closed session failed.
Gibbs was installed as the administrator in January 2023. His hiring was among a number of sudden and sweeping changes made by commissioners from conservative political action group Ottawa Impact during . But Gibbs' relationship with the board soured and commissioners went on to following that he acted inappropriately and neglected his duties. Gibbs then , arguing he was actually fired in retaliation for criticizing the county's lawyer.
Former chair admits 'mistakes along the way,' but says Ottawa Impact stuck to principles
Ottawa Impact lost the majority on the board in . It is now controlled by Republicans not affiliated with the group.
Under the settlement, the county will pay Gibbs $190,000, rescind his termination and remove any reference to termination from his employment file. The board will accept a letter of resignation from him dated February 2024.
'This comes down to, in many ways, again, this board trying to fix the mistakes of a prior board and save taxpayer dollars,' said during the meeting. 'It's not pretty for anybody. Nobody likes this situation. … But we need to make a practical decision for the sake of this community.'
Board members on Tuesday also approved an employment agreement with new Interim Administrator Gary Rosema, He's a former Ottawa County sheriff who agreed earlier this month to take on the administrator role temporarily.
Ottawa County board picks former sheriff as interim county administrator
Rosema, the third interim administrator since Gibbs' ouster, will make about $35,000 less annually compared to Gibbs. Either party can end the contract.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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