‘Competent and capable’ Franklin County leader blindsided by move to fire him at fiery public meeting

Franklin County Administrator Keith Johnson was blindsided with a motion to fire him at the end of the Franklin County Commission meeting this week.

Commissioner Rocky Mullen’s motion came out of the blue more than two hours into the commission’s discussion during a special session Tuesday scheduled in the evening to allow more of the public to attend or watch online.

Tempers flared in the 15-minute discussion that followed.

“Do I get the benefit of an explanation?” Johnson asked after Mullen moved to fire him on the spot. “It is appalling that no one on this board discussed this with me beforehand.”

Johnson, who has more than 30 years of public service, said he hadn’t been given an opportunity to defend his work.

Mullen later agreed to table the motion at the urging of Commissioner Brad Peck. But the third commissioner, Clint Didier, said he wanted to take a vote immediately.

Although the matter was dropped, it’s likely to resurface.

Mullen and Peck agreed to hold off on voting to fire Johnson, with Didier opposed.

“Next week,” Didier said after the vote.

2nd attempt to fire

It is the second time since Mullen took office in January that a commissioner has tried to fire Johnson.

Didier moved to dismiss Johnson and start looking for an interim administrator at a Feb. 23 meeting, to the dismay of Peck, but Didier’s motion failed to get a second then.

However, Mullen commented at the time that there was a lack of leadership in Johnson’s office.

Mullen won election last fall, replacing Commissioner Bob Koch who retired after 16 years.

Mullen was supported in his campaign by Didier, and the two have often joined forces on county issues since Mullen took office.

Johnson’s performance seems to have become an issue after the makeup of the commission changed at the start of the year. Didier and Johnson disagreed at the meeting on whether he had ever received a performance evaluation.

Peck warned Didier and Mullen on Tuesday that good county administrators are difficult to find, and they should be “exceedingly cautious in letting a good one go.”

“If you let Mr. Johnson go, good luck finding someone as competent and capable and credentialed,” he said.

Five years ago the county hired a consulting company that conducted a nationwide search to find Johnson, a certified public accountant and attorney whose experience includes serving as the elected state controller of Idaho and directer of the Idaho Department of Administration.

‘No direction’

Mullen said since becoming commissioner Johnson had given him “no direction whatsoever in what is taking place in the county.”

Johnson disagreed, saying Mullen requested two presentations and had been given them. He said Mullen asked no questions of those who gave public presentations.

“Is it my job to educate you on how to be a commissioner?” Johnson asked.

“No, but I want someone who is going to help me succeed,” Mullen answered.

“From my position that is all I have done,” Johnson said.

Peck said he can’t imagine someone firing a subordinate because they did not teach him how to do their job.

“You’ve got a guy who has a sterling reputation with every single executive I know of in the Tri-Cities,” Peck said.

Peck reminded Mullen that he had offered to help Mullen learn the job a month before his term started, but Mullen rebuffed his offers.

Peck said it was common for experienced commissioners to meet one-on-one with new commissioners before they take office to help prepare them for their new job.

Mullen said he was not comfortable with that since state law on open meetings prevents commissioners from meeting privately together once they take office. Peck said the law did not prevent them from meeting one-on-one before Mullen took office.

Didier sided with Mullen and seconded the motion to fire Johnson. He said he had constituents who are “very angry” with county management.

Easterday and COVID

Johnson countered that the commissioners have not allowed him to hire the staff approved in the budget and now blame him for a lack of management.

Johnson says he hears complaints about the county planning department as Franklin County struggles to keep up with rapid growth.

Top county planners took jobs in Benton County.

“There is a reason for that,” Johnson said. “They don’t feel like Franklin County is a good place to work. ... They don’t get the support from this board. When we ask for help we don’t get it.”

The commission has had no discussion of the Easterday Ranches scheme to defraud companies out of $244 million and how that will impact the county’s agriculture community.

“That issue alone will have a bigger impact on the county economy that COVID had on the county in the last year,” Johnson said.

Peck also brought up voting districts at the end of the meeting, saying lack of action by the commissioners before a legal deadline just days away will put redistricting in the hands of the court.

The county does not meet state standards for voting districts and appears to have run out of time now for commissioners to approve new district boundaries.

Johnson urged commissioners to talk with county staff and other Tri-Cities leaders to assess the job that he is doing. And he offered to meet with Mullen to go over county projects.