Copyright Austin Daily Herald
Law requires 30 days to allow for petitions The Mower County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution to change the auditor/treasurer's position from an elected position to an appointed position. The unanimous vote came during Tuesday morning’s meeting and has been offered to current auditor/treasurer Scott Felten to continue the position. According to Deputy County Administrator Val Sheedy, the approved resolution is now required to be posted twice and without enough petitions from the public during the upcoming 30-day period, Felten would then be officially appointed around Dec. 6. However, if there are sufficient petitions from the public, then the question would be put on the 2026 ballot. In briefing the board, Sheedy said that by adjusting the position from elected to appointed, it strengthens continuity of the job by avoiding the possibility of turnover every four years, as well as ensuring that people with the right qualifications and skills are filling the position. “We would like to have some input in qualifications and education,” Sheedy told the board. “We feel Scott Felten is a very qualified individual.” During the public hearing portion of the meeting regarding the resolution, only one person — Dan Vermilyea — came forward with concerns regarding the change. Among those, he worried about a smooth transition as well as whether or not relationships with state and local entities would be maintained. He also said that making this decision as a board takes the decision away from the voters. “I believe your role is to provide information, documentation and justification on why this should change,” Vermilyea told the board. “My request to the board is you let the people make that decision, not the board.” While board members acknowledged these were all valid questions, they pointed to the changing nature of the position and how much more technical it is, something that County Attorney Kristen Nelsen echoed. “This is now a job that requires skill, it requires knowledge,” Nelsen said.
