OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- Five candidates who want to be the next Ottawa County administrator pitched their experience and skills in public interviews.

The field included a former Ottawa County deputy administrator who left amid governmental strife.

Patrick Waterman, now the deputy Wyoming City administrator, was asked about his departure.

“First, to be clear, I did not want to leave,” he said. “Unfortunately, the circumstances were such I could not effectively work in the organization.”

Waterman resigned in August 2023 , eight months after county commissioners hired John Gibbs as county administrator.

Gibb was fired in February 2024 for alleged misconduct, although he later reached a settlement that included a caveat that his record show he resigned.

Waterman served under Gibbs during a

See Full Page