Update - Thursday afternoon: Kalamazoo County Corporate Counsel Thom Canny has confirmed that Kalamazoo County Administrator Terrence Neuzil is on paid leave.
If the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners voted to put new county administrator Terrence Neuzil on paid leave Tuesday night, it did not announce that decision publicly.
And while the Kalamazoo Gazette reports that Neuzil himself has confirmed he’s on leave, Board Chair John Taylor will not say whether that’s the case - though an item from the county's 7pm meeting Tuesday might relate to Neuzil's status with the county.
“During an ongoing personnel issue we can’t discuss anything,” Taylor says.
Neuzil has been administrator for only a few months. He came to Kalamazoo from Johnson County, Iowa, where he had served as an elected supervisor.
The administrator’s employee status did not come up in any recognizable way at the public part of the commission's Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday or the 7pm regular meeting. The commissioners did go into closed session for much of the Committee of the Whole meeting.
Reached by phone Wednesday, Board Chair Taylor says he has “no idea” where the Gazette heard that Neuzil was on leave, but he added that he supposes the article refers to an item from the “new business” section of the county’s regular meeting. However, there was no mention of Neuzil in the exchange:
"Chair John Taylor: Going into new business. Commissioner Heppler?
Commissioner Jeff Heppler: Thank you Mr. Chair. I move that the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners authorize labor counsel to implement the recommendations – recommendation – course of action that labor counsel outlined in writing – written privileged attorney-client option dated March 15th 2016.
[Commissioners: support]
Chair Taylor: Motion and support. Any discussion? All those in favor say aye [chorus of 'aye']. Those opposed? [Silence] Motion passes. Any other new business?"
Neuzil has not responded to requests for comment from WMUK. He was absent from both commission meetings Tuesday.
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