County could appoint its recorder

Mower County would like to join 27 other counties that allow certain county officers to be appointed, rather than elected.

Rep. Jeanne Poppe (DFL-Austin) sponsors HF3335, which would allow Mower County to make its office of county recorder an appointed position, subject to an 80 percent vote of the county board.

Passed 88-45 by the House March 24, it now goes to the Senate where Sen. Dan Sparks (DFL-Austin) is the sponsor.

Poppe said the issue is “time-sensitive” because the current county recorder, who has held the office for 35 years, is nearing retirement, and the bill would allow the county to hire someone “with the knowledge, skills and abilities to do the job.”

Although the bill provides for public input and a reverse referendum option, Rep. Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake), unsuccessfully offered an amendment to require an election to decide whether the office will remain appointive, or the office would revert to election by 2012. He said he wanted to stop the “creep” of “continuing to erode locally elected positions.”

Westrom pointed out there is already a process for residents and locally elected boards to vote to make some county positions appointed, “but they shouldn’t come to the Legislature and have us bypass this local process.”

“It’s just time to do it this way. I’ve done it twice. Rep. Kohls has done it,” said Rep. Larry Howes (R-Walker). He pointed out the bill includes a reverse referendum option if local voters want to maintain the elected office.