At the first meeting of this year for the Carroll County Board of Supervisors, County Recorder, Marilyn Dopheide, announced her retirement effective Jan. 31, and recommended the appointment of Kathy Schwaller, the Deputy Recorder, to fill the position until the mid-term elections in November. At today’s (Monday’s) meeting, the topic of whether the board should make an appointment or call for a special election was again brought up. Supervisor Rich Ruggles, opened up the conversation, saying it was time to rethink the long-standing appointment process. He says the only way to stop it is to go to a special election.
He adds there are two qualified candidates and it is difficult to appoint without doing interviews. Ruggles says he fully understands it can cost up to $10,000, but he feels this is the only fair way to move forward. Dean Schettler spoke next, saying they were also asked about budgetary goals early this year. He believes it is their responsibility to provide services to county residents in a fiscally responsible manner and to see that the county run as smoothly as possible.
Neil Bock pointed out that he had already made his feelings clear on the timing of the retirement announcement.
Bock agrees with Schettler that continuity is important, but he also agrees with Ruggles that the fair thing to do is to hold a special election. He says this route could very easily lead to continuity with the same person winning again in November. Gene Meiners spent a good deal of time talking with constituents about their viewpoint on this subject.
The timing of this, so close to another election, is the main sticking point for Meiners. Chair, Marty Danzer, also spoke with a variety of people throughout the county as well as those in other counties who have actually done away with the position and doled out duties to other employees. What he heard from them was that dissolving the office is not an option. He cites Schwaller’s 10 plus years of experience and says he was told that local business people are urging them to not let that go. Ruggles says that the idea of continuity just doesn’t float with him.
Although Meiners called for a setting aside of the political motivations, Ruggles contends that incumbent status is a trump card for that candidate when voters step into the booth. He adds that he believes politics are very much a part of this situation.
A motion was made by Meiners to publicly announce their intentions to appoint a candidate. The motion received a second by Schettler and passed on a vote of three in favor and two, Ruggles and Bock, against. The other potential candidate, Real Estate Deputy with the Auditor’s Office, Ashten Wittrock, will need to gather and file approximately 1,055 signatures on a petition to override the board’s intentions to appoint and call for a special election.
