WADENA — With hopes of public comments, Wadena County commissioners set a public hearing on transitioning the county recorder position to appointment instead of election. The public hearing is set for 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 7, at the Wadena County courthouse auditorium.
The public is invited to attend and share their thoughts and questions about the possible change. There will not be a Zoom option for the meeting.
Some county offices can be changed to appointed based on Minnesota statute 375 , including the recorder and auditor-treasurer. Wadena County is only discussing the county recorder position. Forty Minnesota counties have appointed recorder positions as of 2020.
The process for this change can occur under specific guidelines and when certain circumstances are met, such as a current recorder deciding not to file for office. The next steps include publishing the draft resolution and public notice of the hearing in the county’s newspaper, the Review Messenger, for two weeks prior to the hearing. The board will make the final decision following the hearing or at the next regular board meeting.
County recorder Soledad Henriksen will complete her term through Jan. 3, 2023. If the recorder position transitions to appointed from elected, the employee would report to the county coordinator. If the position remains elected, candidates would run in the November 2022 election.
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