Commissioners OK agreements for county administrator, county counsel to leave jobs

Lane County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky has been on the job since 2014, the longest tenure of any county administrator now working in Oregon.

But he’s planning to leave his job with the county at the end of 2027, and so county commissioners Tuesday, Aug. 25, approved a contract amendment with Mokrohisky that is expected to last until Dec. 31, 2027. Commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the contract, with Commissioner David Loveall abstaining.

Mokrohisky’s tenure encompasses a lot of history: When he started, Barack Obama was president, and Donald Trump was a reality television star and New York real estate developer. Mokrohisky has been on the job during economic and budget challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Holiday Farm Fire and a crisis in fentanyl addiction.

In a statement to commissioners, Mokrohisky said he wants to give the county time for a smooth transition and intends to keep tackling challenges in his remaining time.

“When I reflect on the past 13 years, I’m reminded of the many challenges and opportunities that we have faced,” he said. “You know we love a good challenge and will never run away from it, but actually run towards the problem when things get hard.”

Among the county’s accomplishments, he listed: creating a structurally balanced budget, increasing bond ratings, building new housing and supporting programs that include mobile crisis services and “deflection” efforts to help people in addiction get treatment instead of routing them through the court system. 

“More than anything, I think about the people, those that we serve with, those we partner with, and most importantly, the people that we serve,” he said. “The people in Lane County — our employees, our partners, and our residents — are simply the best.”

Board Vice Chair Heather Buch told Mokrohisky she appreciates his service and the long transition time.

Loveall didn’t make any public comments at the meeting about the contract proposal. Afterward, he told a Lookout Eugene-Springfield reporter he had issues with it, but wanted to move forward in a positive way for the county.

Under the agreement, the county commissioners will not formally evaluate Mokrohisky’s performance for the rest of his tenure.

The agreement also concludes that Mokrohisky “exceeded expectations” for his last performance evaluation. He earns an annual salary of $294,049.60.

In the past year, that became a point of dispute between Loveall and Mokrohisky after Loveall gave him a 1 out of 5 rating on his evaluation in August 2025. A county-commissioned report later concluded that rating was “unsupported by documentation.”

Loveall has disputed the findings of that report, which also concluded that he retaliated against county staff. In a federal lawsuit Loveall has filed against the county, he states the low ranking was similar to his previous evaluations of Mokrohisky and was not intended as retaliation.

County counsel’s termination agreement

In a separate vote, commissioners unanimously approved a termination agreement with County Counsel Rob Bovett, who started with the county in February 2025.

The agreement provides Bovett with the equivalent of a year’s salary and the employer’s portion of health insurance, the equivalent of about $275,318. The vote was part of the meeting’s consent agenda, in which commissioners approve, without comment, a number of items.

The agreement was not included in the county’s agenda materials for Tuesday’s meeting, although a memorandum states that the termination is “without cause or comment.” That document also states that Bovett “exceeded expectations” in his September 2025 job evaluation.

Bovett has previously declined to comment on the circumstances behind the termination agreement.

It’s the second six-figure payout for a county counsel in recent years. 

Erin Pettigrew, who also served less than two years as the county counsel, received a county settlement in 2024 of $250,000 after filing a tort claim alleging workplace harassment.