Without any advance notice, Benton County’s top administrator quit Wednesday. Rachel McEneny had served as County Administrator for only two years and four months.
The lack of notice is unusual. When asked if McEneny had been asked to resign, County spokesperson Anne Thwaits said, “All we know is that she resigned for personal reasons.”
McEneny, in her Feb. 18 resignation letter wrote, “It is with a heavy heart that I submit my resignation with Benton County to the Board of Commissioners. Though serving the people of Benton County has been a privilege, I have made the difficult decision to focus on my extended family and to pursue other opportunities.”
The same day, County Commissioner Pat Malone sent an email to all the County’s employees announcing McEneny had resigned effective at the end of the day, and that Assistant County Administrator Rick Crager would assume her responsibilities on an interim basis.
Crager started at Benton County in 2021, serving as Chief Financial Officer. Before that, Crager had worked for more than three decades in various roles for the State of Oregon.
Then in 2024, Crager was promoted to Assistant County Administrator for Benton County. He is seen as having an impressive track record in financial management, policy, and program administration. He possesses a ready command of the County’s financial information and is often able to provide data without need of prior preparation.
As the former assistant superintendent of Finance and Information Technology for the Oregon Department of Education, Crager collaborated closely with school districts across the state, overseeing the allocation and administration of crucial resources for Oregon’s schools.
McEneny’s salary was $260,150 annually.
County Release
The County sent a release highlighting some of McEneny’s achievements, saying that above all, she was proud of the workforce she served and the relationships she built with hardworking colleagues, especially AFSCME union leadership.
After what is seen as an historic strike in November 2024, she believed County leadership and union-represented employees learned to listen to one another and remain committed to shared goals for the community.
With a wave of executive-level retirements in recent years, McEneny welcomed new leadership in several departments. She is seen as having focused on recruiting leaders who understand today’s workforce and who can build connected teams.
The release also said McEneny believed strongly in government transparency. She supported the switch to a new platform for the Board of Commissioners Meeting Portal, making decades of meeting minutes available online and easily searchable, and as County officials see it, making it easier to access materials for current and upcoming meetings.
In 2025, changes at the federal level led to unforeseen cuts to health and human services that people of all ages and circumstances depend on. McEneny anticipated budgetary challenges by implementing a hiring freeze that avoided the staff layoffs other Oregon counties experienced. Later that year, the County passed a biennial budget that held the line on taxes and fees.
The County release also cited capital projects undertaken or completed during McEneny’s tenure.
The Barbara Ross Building opened in 2024.
Then in 2025. the Benton County Crisis Center opened — one of only three such facilities in the state. Also last year, the County broke ground on its new Courthouse and Emergency Operations Center, which are slated to open in spring 2027.
Add to all that, the historic McBee campground was generously donated to the County during McEneny’s tenure, and infrastructure improvements are currently underway.
Here’s the text of McEneny’s resignation letter
It is with a heavy heart that I submit my resignation with Benton County to the Board of Commissioners.
Though serving the people of Benton County has been a privilege, I have made the difficult decision to focus on my extended family and to pursue other opportunities.
I am most proud of the workforce I served and the relationships that I built with my hardworking colleagues, especially the leadership at ASFME. After our historic strike in November of 2024, we learned to listen to one another and remain committed to our shared goals for the community. We empowered our community and have a more transparent public engagement platform for our public meetings, an easier-to-navigate website and have welcomed new leadership in several of our most important departments.
County governments will continue to face unforeseen cuts to the health and human services that people of all ages and circumstances depend on. I am proud of anticipating budgetary challenges by implementing a hiring freeze that avoided the layoffs that other counties in Oregon are experiencing. This year, we passed a responsible biennial budget that held the line on taxes and our fees.
I plan to remain an active member in our community and look forward to assisting Rick Crager, а seasoned and thoughtful professional who brings 30 years of experience and will continue to provide great stewardship for everyone in this important role.
As Benton County residents travel around our county, please be excited and learn about our new (and one of only three in the state) Crisis Stabilization Center and the Barbara Ross Children and Family Building that both opened last year, as well as the new Emergency Operation Center and County Courthouse that will be realized in 2027. I will always be proud of the teamwork that made these future landmarks of our community possible.
Thank you for the opportunity, it was an honor and privilege.
For a copy of McEneny’s letter, click here.
By Steven J. Schultz
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