To: Gary Goetzinger, Finance Committee Chairperson
From: Brian MacMillan, Corporation Counsel
title
RE: Approval to create, post, & fill one (1) new Attorney position within the Corporation Counsel Department
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
Approval of a request to create, post, and fill one new attorney position within the Corporation Counsel Department. This request includes re-creating the former positions of Assistant Corporation Counsel I, II, or III and Senior Assistant Corporation Counsel, and filling the new position at the appropriate level depending on experience, qualifications, and skill.
BACKGROUND:
Corporation Counsel became a stand-alone department on January 3, 2024. Since May of 2024, the department has consisted of two attorneys. Within the past year, the Board of Commissioners has set forth new goals and priorities of its Corporation Counsel department, and the addition of a third attorney was identified as one way to help achieve those goals and priorities.
DISCUSSION:
Adding a third attorney in the Corporation Counsel department is intended to help the Board of Commissioners achieve its goals and priorities. This request is Corporation Counsel’s next step in the process of helping to move Genesee County forward.
IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES:
HR will be involved in the hiring process.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
Funding for this new position was included in the FYE 2027 budget, and because the position has not been filled yet, money is being saved.
IMPACT ON FACILITIES:
The new attorney will need typical office furniture and supplies, which likely already exist in the new Tower building, and an office space located near the current Department location.
IMPACT ON TECHNOLOGY:
The new attorney will need a computer and related technology equipment. With the savings from the position not being filled so far this fiscal year, these costs should be negligible if they weren’t already included in the budgeted costs for a new position.
CONFORMITY TO COUNTY PRIORITIES:
Corporation Counsel provides legal services and support to the Board of Commissioners and all county-funded departments, elected officials, and courts. Through these legal services, the department supports all four of the Board’s priorities.
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE GENESEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
BE IT RESOLVED, by this Board of County Commissioners of Genesee County, Michigan, that the request by Corporation Counsel to authorize creating, posting, and filling one (1) new attorney position, said position to be filled as either an Assistant Corporation Counsel I, II, or III or Senior Assistant Corporation Counsel as appropriate depending on experience, qualification, and skill, is approved (a copy of the memorandum request and supporting documents being on file with the official records of the November 3, 2026 meeting of the Finance Committee of this Board).
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Board directs the Director of Human resources to have the necessary personnel position numbers created, as necessary, for said positions and to commence the hiring process so that the position may be filled as soon as practicable, in accordance with County policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreement.