Polk County to appoint new administrator without a search

Catch up quick: Newly elected supervisors joined with Supervisor's Chairperson Matt McCoy in January to force out former administrator John Norris.

• The county agreed to pay Norris a $520,000 settlement in exchange for his resignation in March.
• McCoy said in March that the county had no timeline to search for Norris' replacement, citing internal issues and media scrutiny that could deter qualified candidates.

State of play: Marasco has been the interim administrator since Norris' departure and would be paid $285,000 yearly under a resolution before supervisors.

Behind the scenes: Deputy county administrator Sarah Boese filed a lawsuit in May — her third ongoing suit against the county — alleging retaliation after being passed over for the job.

• Boese's attorney, Matt Sahag, did not respond Monday to Axios' requests for comment.
• McCoy tells Axios that the majority of supervisors are happy with Marasco's interim work and feel comfortable naming him the administrator without going through a national search.

The intrigue: Supervisors also will vote Tuesday on whether to appoint Samuel Stanton as the new county medical examiner.

• Stanton would work part-time through December 2026 for $127,500 a year as the county transitions autopsy services to the state.
• The move follows a revolving door of staff in the medical examiner's office in recent months, including a payment of nearly $327,000 in severance to three of its employees this year.

What's next: If approved, Marasco's contract would run through June 2028.