Livingston County Administrator Nathan Burd is reportedly leaving for a new position in Texas.
According to County Commissioner Douglas Helzerman, writing in his weekly column in the Fowlerville News & Views, Burd gave notice of his resignation.
“Nathan had given us a heads up that he was considering this move,” wrote Helzerman. “Though we had just given him a favorable second three-year contract, and he was very satisfied with his job here, he felt that this position in the state where he grew up, with a warmer climate and other more favorable conditions for his growing family, was right for him at this time.”
Burd became Livingston County’s administrator in July 2020, following the sudden passing of previous administrator Ken Hinton in October of 2019.
Helzerman said the commissioners accepted Burd’s resignation “with deep regret” due to his superior performance, noting that Burd came in the first months of Covid and helped the county navigate the complexities of the pandemic.
Those complexities included numerous political battles waged by the all-Republican board of commissioners concerning masks, vaccines and contact tracing, often with the the county’s Health Department drawing the ire of commissioners who often questioned the science behind those efforts.
Judy Daubenmier, Chair of the Livingston County Democratic Party, also reacted to the news.
“Nathan was always professional, honest, and even-handed in his dealings with the board, with the public, and with me. It is going to be extremely hard to find someone like him to fill the position,” she said. “I hope the board will set aside ideology and for the good of the county make professionalism, honesty, and fairness top priorities in its search for a replacement.”
While Helzerman used his column to make the announcement of Burd’s departure, he did not indicate when the resignation was received, nor when the process to find his replacement was begun.
“He will be sorely missed, but we wish him all of the best,” said Helzerman. “We have already set in motion the system needed to find a replacement that meets our high expectations for those who would lead our county.”
The agenda for last week’s board meeting did not include any word of Burd’s resignation.
