County Administration

County Administrator

The position of County Administrator was originally created by the County Commission in 2010. It is currently governed by Resolution No. R-2017-5.

What We Do

The County Administrator is the Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Ellis County and also serves as Human Resources Management Officer.  The Administrator is responsible to the Board of County Commissioners for the efficient, effective, ethical and responsive administration of County services and programs and assures that state and federal laws and County resolutions and policies are enforced.

Who We Are

The County Administrator's Office currently consists of two employees:

• Janet Schmidt serves the County as HR Generalist. She works with employee recruitment, new employee orientation, recordkeeping, payroll and benefits. Prior to coming to Ellis County, Janet had many years of experience in private-sector human resources. 
• Phillip Smith-Hanes has served as as the County Administrator since March 1, 2016. Phil has worked in local government management for more than 20 years. Prior to joining the Ellis County team, Phil was County Administrative Officer of a county in northern California for six years. Phil's work is governed by a contract with the County Commission, which you can read here.

Contact Us

If you have a matter to discuss with the County Administrator, or if you wish to be placed on the County Commission agenda, please email Phillip Smith-Hanes or call (785) 628-9410.