The Johnson County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Sept. 12 to appoint Johnson County Project and Systems Analyst James Bechtel as interim executive director.

This comes after Guillermo Morales, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors executive director, was fired from his role, the board cited Morales’ discipline and alleged lack of understanding towards his job as the board’s responsibility. 

Bechtel declined The Daily Iowan’s request for comment.

Morales, who served as executive director for 18 months, was dismissed from his position last Wednesday due to accusations of “insubordinate and argumentative” behavior toward county employees. 

He has since launched a write-in campaign for a seat on the Board of Supervisors, with a focus on progressive policies such as affordable housing, wage transparency, and protections for marginalized communities, according to his website.

The motion to terminate Morales was introduced by Board of Supervisors Chair Rod Sullivan and approved in a 3-2 vote, with Fixmer-Oraiz and Jon Green against Morales’ termination.

At the meeting, Johnson County Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz called the termination “inappropriate,” stating that Morales should have received standard HR corrective coaching first.

Editor’s note: A former version of this article incorrectly referenced an investigation unrelated to Guillermo Morales. The DI regrets this error.