County picks former deputy as next county administrator as far-right faction cries foul

OTTAWA COUNTY — Third time’s a charm — at least when it comes to Ottawa County finding its next permanent administrator.

On Friday, Sept. 12, the board chose former deputy administrator Patrick Waterman to lead the county’s administration office.

Waterman was one of five finalists who went through two rounds of public interviews this week, after commissioners whittled a list of 58 applicants down to their top five picks and two alternates late last month.

Read More: What you need to know about the 5 finalists vying to be Ottawa County's next administrator

Waterman was selected in a 7-4 vote after a contentious meeting Friday.

The divide was a familiar one, with the far-right Ottawa Impact commissioners refusing to back Waterman, calling his return to the county "a step backwards."

"I think that he is not going to unite us as a county. ... He called himself a Christian, I would hope that he would always be ethical and not lie like that," said OI Commissioner Kendra Wenzel, referring to a line of questioning during Waterman's interview earlier this week.

Commissioner Allison Miedema said she would support anyone other than Waterman.

"I have someone that I would love to get behind in support, but I would actually get behind any of the other four," she said.

The board's six moderate Republicans, as well as the board's lone Democrat, all voiced their support of Waterman and criticized their OI colleagues for their comments.

"After the interviews on Wednesday and how they transpired ... seeing one applicant in particular, Patrick Waterman, handle the situation under the fire that he was put through — it gave me a little view into ... what he and many of our Ottawa County employees went through. He struggled, and he stuck with it for eight months in a very, very difficult situation.

"And for him to have the courage to stand, to come back, speaks volumes to me. And I can't help but think that we have the opportunity in casting our vote today to right a wrong that was done, and so I'll be voting to do that and I'll be voting for Patrick Waterman."

After the vote, the OI commissioners voiced their disappointment.

"Seven people chose not to heal our county," Wenzel said. "You guys chose not to heal our county, and that makes me pretty sad."

Moderate Republican Jordan Jorritsma said his OI colleagues view unity in a specific way.

"You guys are clearly, consistently asking us to change our vote, to unify with you. So I would ask you, in the name of unity, to change your vote, to unify with us. I don't understand why the burden of unity is one-sided," he said.

How we got here

The county quietly relaunched the search for its next permanent administrator July 16 after a previous effort failed to produce more than one finalist to interview and the search firm hired by the county withdrew from its contract on June 19.

Read More: Ottawa board to jumpstart administrator search for third time, rescind controversial motto

Read More: Administrator search firm cuts ties after Ottawa County process stalls

In March, commissioners selected Brighton-based Double Haul Solutions as their search firm, a move that came after the position was vacated for a fourth time in December 2024 after interim administrator Ben Wetmore was given a severance agreement by the previous board — which has since been challenged in court.

Wetmore, who began his short-lived stint as deputy county administrator in November 2023, was promoted by the former OI majority in October after previous interim administrator Jon Anderson resigned after he lost his bid for county sheriff in the August Republican primary.

Anderson, himself, replaced former permanent administrator John Gibbs, who was fired in late February 2023 after a falling out with the OI majority. 

Gibbs sued and later settled with the county for $190,000. 

Gibbs replaced previous permanent administrator John Shay, who the OI-led board abruptly fired on Jan. 3, 2023, the day they were sworn in. Shay had been promoted from deputy administrator in March 2022.

The former OI majority attempted to fill the full-time position after Anderson resigned in October, and Wetmore served as interim. 

The process, however, faced scrutiny after former board Chair Joe Moss hand-picked the search firm without a formal process and created an executive search committee composed of five OI commissioners, two of whom had already lost their Republican primaries in August and would term out at the end of 2024.

Ultimately, the process resulted in all candidates backing out. OI lost its majority at the end of 2024. The current composition of the board is a six-seat majority of traditional Republicans, four Ottawa Impact Republicans and one Democrat.

Read More: Ottawa County administrator search in jeopardy after all but one candidate drops out

Waterman’s background

Waterman was hired as Ottawa County’s deputy administrator in November 2022, shortly before OI assumed its majority on the board of commissioners in January 2023. 

Waterman resigned unexpectedly in July 2023; in a letter to department heads explaining the decision, he cited a strained working relationship with then-new administrator Gibbs.

"Despite my best efforts, I have been unable to establish an effective working relationship with Mr. Gibbs over the past seven months. I do not feel as though my experience and abilities are valued or utilized by the current administration, and have come to the decision that it is time to move on,” Waterman said when he resigned.

He was quickly hired as deputy city manager for the City of Wyoming in Kent County, following his previous boss, Shay, who now serves as Wyoming’s city manager.

Waterman served a key role in OI’s pursuit to fire Ottawa County Health Officer Adeline Hambley, who sued the board in February 2023 for overstepping its state authority when the majority tried to demote her, then fire her.

In a dramatic hearing in October 2024, Waterman — who was subpoenaed to testify — said he was present during the 2023 hiring process for an executive aide position and expressed concerns about Gibbs’ choice of Jordan Epperson because of "certain behaviors" he showed during his interviews, including vocal “support for Ottawa Impact.

That testimony, which included Waterman’s account of Gibbs overriding the selection committee’s choice of an older, more qualified candidate to hire Epperson, ultimately led to a lawsuit against the county for age discrimination. The plaintiff in that lawsuit, Ryan Kimball, agreed to a settlement with the county in December 2024 for $250,000. Hambley also settled with the county in February 2024, with the county paying her legal fees that totaled more than $188,000 and her remaining in her position.

When asked why he wanted to return to Ottawa County, Waterman said he never wanted to leave.

“To be clear, I did not want to leave. I loved it here. I loved the organization. I loved the people. I loved the projects we were working on. I love the career growth that I was creating for myself, because county government was new to me, and it was a whole ’nother animal. And I really enjoyed that.

“Unfortunately, the circumstances were such that I could not effectively work in that organization,” he said. “I tried, despite my best efforts, to stay on and be very loyal. I ultimately felt that it was doing a disservice to the organization and to our taxpayers to stay here without being put effectively in my job. So that's why I left [but] that does not mean that I quit paying attention to what's happening here, and have a very, very vested interest in seeing things get better.”

Waterman said he didn’t apply for the position in previous rounds, but now felt like the right time.

“This last round, my family and I were on vacation and talked to my wife about it at length, and prayed about it, and … I don't know what changed, but I felt called this time to apply for the position,” he said. “Once I got through that, now it's just excitement. I thought about how I could help here; I thought this was the right decision.”

A contentious interview

The selection of Waterman followed his public interview on Wednesday before the board, which featured a controversial line of questioning from the board’s far-right minority bloc, Ottawa Impact.

OI Commissioner Allison Miedema kicked off the pointed line of questioning by asking Waterman if he had to ​​"abide by DEI hiring policies” in his current role as deputy city manager in Wyoming. 

When Waterman denied having any obligations to such policies, Commissioner Joe Moss, president of OI and the board’s chair 2023-24, appeared to challenge the candidate’s response.

“So, if I handed you the job description from your city website and asked you to look at number five … am I incorrect on that?” Moss asked.

“Honestly, this has never been discussed or brought up to me in any capacity as deputy city manager,” Waterman said. 

When asked to describe the character traits that his previous colleagues would note about him, Waterman listed things such as being a good listener and analyzing input from a high level to work with department-head leaders. 

Moss then claimed to have received feedback from constituents and “former co-workers” of Waterman’s, whom he did not name, saying there were claims that Waterman “quit when the going got tough.” 

Waterman said the choice to leave wasn’t easy: “I struggled with that decision. I did not want to leave Ottawa County. … I love the work, the people, the projects, the growth that I was experiencing … I tried, [but] despite my best efforts, for eight months, to work with the administrator [Gibbs] … essentially, it came down to a moral decision for me. I did not feel I was doing a service to the county to stay here. I was being paid a pretty good salary and not being allowed to do my job as described in the job description.”

“So, at that point, you had taken a much more proactive look at the job description in that role, but not your current role,” Moss responded.

“Well, these were duties that were really necessary — duties running day-to-day operations — … on a magnitude level of the duties that I was expected to do; I didn't need to look at the job description to know that,” Waterman said.

Moss then pivoted to say he received claims, again from unidentified sources, that Waterman was “someone who lies. Specifically, there was an instance where I believe you investigated an employee who was hired into the county and accused them of doing political work on county time.”

Moss was referring to Cindy Driesenga, an assistant he employed during his two-year stint as chair, during which many questions from the public and fellow commissioners speculated about what Driesenga’s duties were, as she wasn’t hired through county human resources processes and didn’t work in a county-owned building during her tenure.

Waterman said he “voiced concerns of a possibility,” rather than accusing Driesenga of inappropriate behavior.

“My email says what it says. … I wouldn't have accused somebody of doing something that wasn't true,” he said.

Moss replied: “It is absolutely read as an accusation.”

When asked if Waterman felt that it was important to live in the community he works for, he said it’s important for chief heads of administration to do so.

“Every community I've served in the lead position, I've lived in,” he said. “When you're making decisions,... you have to be affected by those decisions. You have to have some skin in the game.”

Moss again interjected to challenge Waterman on his words.

“Did you move to the city of Wyoming when you took the job there?” he asked.

“No, but I'm not the city manager,” Waterman said, “so there is a distinction between being the head of the appointed official and the deputy.”

“Curious,” Moss replied.

Board Chair John Teeples, a traditional Republican, asked Waterman how many times his employment contracts were renewed in his work history, as well as how many negative reviews he received.

“Would you recall that there was ever a time when you were called in on behalf of that in response to some employee that made some allegation or statement that you had acted improperly? Were you ever called in and questioned about a situation that [Moss] may have been referring to?” Teeples asked.

“No. Not in 23 years,” Waterman said.

OI Commissioner Sylvia Rhodea told Waterman that, despite the eventual firing and lawsuit settlement with Gibbs in early 2024, she wished the former deputy administrator had “expressed some of your concerns to some board members prior to leaving …, so that we could have worked through some issues.”

Rhodea went on to ask how Waterman’s “letter was printed by the press,” asking how he would discourage employees from sharing information with external watchdogs, such as local media — which typified the OI majority’s two-year term.

“Leaks within county staff and their collaboration with the media … this board went through quite a bit of damaging media coverage from a very intentional, intense pattern of leaking from within staff,” she said.

Waterman said the concept of internal leaks from government-employed staff was a novel concept for him. 

"I've never been asked that question. At the local level, we don't talk about leaks,” he said. “That's just a foreign concept to me. I would strive to abide by the law when it comes to what is discussed in things like closed session. … I've never shared an email with an outside organization.”

In fact, some of Waterman’s emails became public during litigation processes, specifically in the case of Kimball age discrimination lawsuit against the county; he also was asked about several discussions he had with Gibbs and decisions that were made in the first six months of 2023 during a termination hearing for Hambley (she remains in the role as part of a settlement agreement in February 2024).

Despite the eventual firing of Gibbs, Rhodea said Waterman’s departure in mid-2023 felt like a betrayal.

“I’m just being honest here, I don't think we felt that way until you left, and then it felt, you know, a little bit like daggers,” she said. 

Waterman said part of the problem was “a complete communication vacuum” working with Gibbs as his supervisor.

“When that happens, the rumor mills start and all of that, so that's just part of that culture. The conversations you're having, and giving assurance to the employees … I feel passionate about that,” he said.

OI makes its votes known

As Waterman’s interview wrapped up, several of the OI commissioners told the finalist that they would not support him as the county’s next administrator.

“I want to see Ottawa County move forward. I don't want to reset to 2022. I don't want to go backwards,” Moss said. “So, no offense to your candidacy for the role, but I think that you should stay in the city of Wyoming. 

“Ottawa County needs an administrator that the whole board can trust and you are not that person. We need someone who's not a [diversity, equity and inclusion] champion or hired to be one. We need someone who does not carry the baggage that you would bring to the relationships around this table. So I'd like to thank you for your past service to Ottawa County. I'd like to thank you for applying, but that is as far as it goes for me.”

“I really want the candidate that we select as a board to be someone that we can all work with,” Miedema said. “I enjoyed working with Patrick. I did have a measure of trust for a time; I don't currently have that same level of trust.”

“I think that he is a hard worker, and … I will not take that away from him, but I will be going with one of the other four,” she said.

Commissioner Jacob Bonnema voiced support for Waterman, saying the former deputy administrator was put in an impossible position during OI’s majority tenure.

“I watched you from a front-row seat as you dealt with the chaos and mismanagement and accusations that came from board leadership at that time — the problems that Ottawa County faced after we were elected. You had well-meaning people that were purely activists, and it's been very hard for me to sit here and to watch this type of accusation being put on you, calling you things that we know to not be true,” Bonnema said. “I've watched your integrity go through the roof. … You're always very professional.”

Bonnema went on to call the line of questioning from OI commissioners “very disrespectful,” and said “under no circumstances should the thoughts of [Moss] or Rhodea be considered by the public.”

In a “hot mic” moment after Waterman left the interview, Bonnema continued to criticize Moss on his line of questioning.

“That was wrong, Joe,” Bonnema said. 

“Truth hurts sometimes,” Moss replied.

“That is not truth, that is spreading lies. How about $4 million? How about we talk about that truth?” Bonnema said, referring to a settlement the county initially agreed to in November 2023, but later refused to honor; a circuit court judge ultimately said the board the agreement wasn’t legally enforceable because the board didn’t follow Open Meetings Act requirements to detail what they were voting on at the time. 

On Friday, Moss defended his line of questioning during Waterman's interview.

"I highlighted facts and specific instances that I had serious concerns with this individual. ... They're not personal attacks," he said. "Facts and questions are not personal attacks just because the subject matter offends you. Disagreement does not equal hate. Disagreement of opinion does not equal personal attack. ... To continue to say that these are personal attacks is a narrative."

Support Our Work

Ottawa News Network is a nonprofit news service dedicated to providing the residents of Ottawa County with trustworthy, community-driven news. ONN treats journalism as a public good — something that enriches lives and empowers Ottawa County’s 300,000-plus residents to stay engaged, make informed decisions, and strengthen local democracy. Please consider giving today.

What happens next

After the board approved Waterman's selection, a second vote authorized Teeples to enter into contract negotiations with the new administrator and bring back a contract for the board to approve — likely at its next meeting later this month.

That vote also was 7-4, with the four OI commissioners dissenting.

As the 90-minute meeting came to a close, Teeples called for the board to unite behind its new administrator.

"We do have differences on this board, strong differences, but we should not hold it against our new administrator," he said. "We should get behind him and support him as well, and I hope we do that."

— Sarah Leach is the executive editor of the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at sleach@ottawanewsnetwork.org. Follow her on Twitter @ONNLeach.