We offer congratulations to Jesse Osmer, the longtime pol and current Alpena County commissioner who was picked Tuesday by his fellow county commissioners to serve as county administrator, the top executive in county government.

But we urge Osmer to celebrate little, as he has a lot of work to do.

The county’s current budget predicts a $1.8 million budget shortfall that will have to be covered by the county’s dwindling cash savings account.

County facilities are aging. A consultant last year told the county board its facilities need about $17.3 million in simple repairs and maintenance over the next decade and the county could use a brand-new facility, which would cost as much as $34 million.

The county will, in November, ask voters to approve a property tax increase that would cost the owner of a $100,000 house about $35 a year (and the owner of a $200,000 house about $70 a year) and bring in about $800,000 a year for the county.

That would still leave about $1 million the county has to cut from expenses, or cover with savings or other new revenue.

The county also has considered a much steeper property tax increase to cover the cost of the Alpena County Sheriff’s Office and the county jail, though that idea has been put on hold.

In short, Osmer will have his hands full on day one, from looking for cuts to ushering through the ballot proposal to exploring possibilities for new income. And that’s on top of the day-to-day stuff like managing county staff, paying bills, working with the county board, and otherwise keeping the lights on in county government.

Osmer’s appointment won’t be finalized until he and the county board can ink a contract, but that should be an easy negotiation. Osmer told News staff writer Steve Schulwitz he’s asked the county for less than the $85,000 minimum annual salary the county offered when it posted the open county administrator position when former administrator Mary Catherine Hannah left to run Saginaw County (as a commissioner, Osmer recused himself from all discussions about the administrator search).

Osmer said he wants to do his part to help the county’s finances, and we appreciate that gesture.

Osmer’s certainly off to a good start.

But he’s got a lot of work to do.

We urge him and the county board to quickly land on a contract so Osmer can get started on the many challenges before him.