The Lane County Courthouse as seen in July 2024.
Rebecca Hansen-White / KLCC
Lane County’s administrator is preparing to leave after nearly 13 years on the job.
Steve Mokrohisky has overseen day-to-day operations at Lane County since 2014, including the aftermath of the Holiday Farm Fire, the pandemic, and budget cuts during tough economic years.
He told the board of commissioners Tuesday that he plans to depart at the end of next year.
“I’ve made this decision now to ensure that we have a thoughtful, smooth and inclusive transition with an eye toward long-term success,” he said.
Mokrohisky said he’s been Lane County’s administrator longer than any of his predecessors, and is the longest-serving county administrator in the state right now. After announcing plans to leave, he thanked his family for their support, as well as county employees and the public.
“What a joy and a privilege it has been, and continues to be, to call Lane County home,” he said.
When Mokrohisky leaves, he will receive one year’s salary, about $294,000, plus other benefits, according to county documents. He also does not have to go through another performance evaluation in his remaining year on the job, according to a transition contract commissioners approved Tuesday.
In his 2024-2025 performance evaluation, he exceeded expectations, according to documents.
Commissioner David Loveall, who represents Springfield, abstained from voting on the contract. Loveall is in litigation against Mokrohisky and three fellow commissioners, accusing them of violating his First Amendment right to freedom of speech and religion over how they handled HR complaints against him.
Loveall was accused of making inappropriate comments to county employees and retaliating against Mokrohisky.
Commissioner Heather Buch thanked Mokrohisky for his service, and for giving the county a long runway to plan a transition.
During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners also voted to terminate their contract with their attorney, Rob Bovett.
Lane County hired Bovett as county counsel early last year. During their consent agenda, which normally consists of routine items approved without discussion, commissioners voted to approve a settlement and terminate Bovett without cause or comment, and pay him a year’s worth of wages and insurance premiums.
That’s about $275,000 plus the value of unused vacation.
Bovett’s work in his last performance review exceeded expectations, according to agenda documents.
Lane County’s previous lawyer, Erin Pettigrew, left after about the same amount of time on the job. The county paid out $250,000 to settle claims that some commissioners had engaged in sexist behavior toward her.
Rebecca Hansen-White is a reporter with KLCC. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
