Long time county administrative director finds new employment in Spokane County

COLFAX – Whitman County Administrative Director Gary Petrovich has submitted his letter of resignation, with his last workday being May 1.

Petrovich will be taking a new job in Spokane County as Chief Budget Officer.

"This is very similar to what I've been doing in Whitman County, only on a much larger scale, 10 times larger," Petrovich said. "I'll be reporting to the CEO, Mr. Gerry Gemmill, who reports directly to the Board of County Commissioners."

Petrovich began working for Whitman County on Nov. 8, 2010. He was hired during the county reorganization of the finance, information technology and auditor's departments.

He said they were looking for someone to provide some financial guidance.

Before Petrovich took the position, Sharron Cunningham, with the Auditor's office worked as administrative director.

"I can't say when Gary's position was first implemented but it was many years ago," said Whitman County Commissioner Michael Largent. "The position description has certainly evolved over time and has continued to do so under Gary's tenure."

Petrovich said this job in Whitman County was his first job in the government sector and it proved to be a steep learning curve with the position.

"Understanding the budget process was my biggest challenge," Petrovich said. "I first had to understand the dynamic relationship between elected officials and how each department functioned."

Largent said one key change Petrovich added to his position that wasn't there before was being a budget negotiator. He said utilizing a central contact during this critical phase greatly increased the efficiency and timeliness of passing an annual budget.

"Gary very much understood the bigger picture and helped us focus on the larger policy issues impacting the budget rather than counting paper clips," Largent said. "In a recent meeting, I attended with other electeds and department heads, Gary's leadership over the years was broadly praised and appreciated."

Now that the county administrative director position is open, many county leaders, department heads and elected officials, are encouraging the county commissioners to re-fill this position under the commissioners.

However, during the COVID-19 crisis, a new hire does not seem likely for the commissioners at this time.

"These are difficult times to negotiate budgetarily and how and when to fill Gary's position has not yet been determined," Largent said. "I will be meeting with both the Auditor and the Treasurer to seek advice as to how we might proceed in both the short and the long run."

Commissioner Art Swannack and Commissioner Dean Kinzer are doing research as well on how to move forward in the short term.

Largent said while the position is open, the duties of the Administrative Services Department will carry on interim before a replacement is hired. He said he feels fortunate to have fellow elected officials across the county so willing to assist where they can.

Petrovich also recognized the strong character of the elected officials and department heads across the county.

"I'd like to thank the Whitman County employees, department heads and elected officials. They are the ones who made my job rewarding through their kindness, patience and understanding," Petrovich said. "I will certainly miss the comradeship and conversations to solve county-wide issues. I hope that I'm leaving Whitman County in a better position than when I started."