GRAND MARAIS – Another high-profile figure in local government has resigned in Cook County, following an exodus of top officials from their posts in recent months. 

The Nov. 8 resignation of Jason Hale as the director of the Cook County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) is the latest example of stalwarts in local government resigning from their positions. Cook County Administrator James Joerke resigned Oct. 29. County Attorney Molly Hicken resigned a week earlier on Oct. 22. 

All three, Hicken, Joerke, and Hale, will be officially stepping away on or before Jan. 2.  

In addition, in August, former Cook County Economic Development Authority (EDA) Director Theresa Bajda wrapped her tenure leading a local government entity, which lasted for less than a year. 

The reasons for these four resignations, all of which were rather abrupt and caught many community members off guard, vary. Joerke resigned shortly after his wife was killed in an accident in Missouri. Hicken resigned and will be taking a job with the local ski hill, Lutsen Mountains. Bajda said she resigned, at least in part, to take a job with a local government entity near the Twin Cities. In a statement from the county Nov. 9, there’s no official reason listed for Hale’s resignation from the HRA. When reached for comment by this reporter Nov. 9, Hale said he was waiting to share the reasons for his departure and his next steps career wise with the HRA Board before making any public announcements. He agreed to an interview with The Shore Thing Podcast in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, in reviewing documents relevant to this story, Bajda’s exit interview with the EDA and various county officials describes some of her experiences working as the organization’s director from September 2023 until she resigned in August. In a statement sent as part of the exit interview, Bajda said: “I felt like I was on an island by myself most times. That’s challenging. The beauty of public service is the discourse. I felt like I played it safe sometimes because I didn't know exactly where the board wanted to go and if they had my back because we didn't spend much time setting goals/vision/work priorities. I wanted to change the narrative from the public that their perception of the EDA’s involvement in certain people’s pet projects along with mismanagement of the golf course and no transparency. But I wanted the Board to be a part of the changed narrative- wish they would have jumped into more interview opportunities or conversations to help champion that change of perception.”

Following Bajda’s resignation, Hale stepped in as the interim EDA director, essentially serving as the top official for both organizations. This arrangement follows what some community members and county officials, including Bajda, feel was a missed opportunity to merge the HRA and EDA in 2023. A recent stakeholder survey done by the EDA, Bajda said in her exit interview, made it clear that having the HRA and EDA both exist and operate independently is confusing for some people.

The following excerpt is from Bajda’s exit interview: “The number one topic that came up from that was housing and the confusion on the difference between the HRA/EDA. The topic of a merger was discussed briefly during strategic plan but quickly shot down. I struggle to understand the lack of support for merging. Jason and I work on some of the same projects- doubling efforts on resolutions, contracts, efforts in general, levy funding and time. Always wanted us to partner, but solidifying a relationship between the HRA/EDA ensures that partnership instead of hoping Executive Directors work well together. You could maximize potential. The HRA is going to naturally change, I think. For example, much focus on multifamily projects right now. But you have to see absorption rates. Maybe that work will flow into more single family or senior housing opportunities. And there will always need to be a compliance focus after construction. These are all EDA opportunities too. The idea got shot down by a couple of members with strong voices. Less loud voices allowed the discussion to be shut down. Everything is about hoping the EDA/HRA work together. You can’t change history (i.e., EDA reputation) but you can fix/correct actions taken moving forward. It's my personal and professional opinion that a merger would build capacity for both organizations and create more unified vision/output for Cook County. It allows them to have a team/someone to collaborate with and maximize resources, funding, brainpower.”

In the Nov. 9 press release regarding Hale’s resignation, there is no mention of what Hale plans to do next in terms of a job. The county notes that Hale “was the first executive director of the HRA and has been serving in the role for the last two and a half years. In that time the HRA has built an organization from the ground up, secured over $3 million and 50 acres for housing in Cook County, laid the groundwork for over 150 new housing units, and has helped save 45 existing, affordable units.”

Hale’s last day with the HRA is Dec. 6.