New Clay County Commission Begins Working for the People

Newly inaugurated Clay County Commissioners Megan Thompson and Jon Carpenter joined Presiding Commissioner Jerry Nolte on Monday, January 4, for the new commission’s first business meeting of the year. One main theme presented in today’s meeting was clear: the commission is now working together for the people of Clay County.

We are looking at a time when transparency is going to be more than a buzzword, and caring what citizens think is not a political punchline, but a reality in this county - Presiding Commissioner Jerry Nolte

This commission is also operating under the new rules and guidelines of the County Constitution that was voted into place by Clay County residents in November.

Business of the county began with the appointment of office holders that will serve the county. Commissioners appointed Kevin Graham as Clay County Counsel, Tom Salisbury as Clay County Administrator, and Steve Siercks as Budget Consultant.

There were two main items the commission discussed that citizens have been eagerly waiting on for action. The first item involved an update on the ongoing citizen-initiated state audit. Commissioners agreed that Counsel Graham should begin by investigating the status of lawsuits the previous commission members made in attempt to block the audit from moving forward. Graham will reach out to the State Auditor’s office and report findings to the commission before any further action is taken by the county.

The second discussion item on the agenda was the status of the new county annex. The current state of the project is not much more than the clearing of the land and digging in the ground for the foundation. However, there has been a considerable amount of money invested in the project.

The commissioners charged Graham to arrange a meeting with the bond counselors to learn the exact situation of the project including how much has been invested in the project so far, any obligations legally or otherwise related to the construction, and how the commission can proceed from this stage of the project. The commissioners also agreed that it is necessary to stop all physical construction and spending in regards to the annex during this evaluation period.

Nolte closed the meeting by expressing his excitement with working with the new commissioners: “I’m excited about where we are going. We are truly turning a page,” he said. “We are looking at a time when transparency is going to be more than a buzzword, and caring what citizens think is not a political punchline, but a reality in this county.”

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story