The Calhoun Republican Executive Committee met Monday evening in an emergency session to discuss the Wednesday Calhoun County Commission meeting over the upcoming Sheriff vacancy. Sheriff Warren Basnett is set to resign on the 30th of April, 2023 leaving his position open with an appointment to be made within 30 days.
As the process goes, should the Calhoun County Commission not come to an agreement of who should receive the appointment within 30 days, it is then up to the Republican Executive Committee to present three candidates for consideration. At that time, the longest residing Commissioner can strike one of the three. That would be Commissioner Kevin Helmick.
The Commission can appoint a Sheriff temporarily to serve no more than 30 days.
Graham Knight was the first candidate to throw his hat in race for consideration. With an impressive recommendation letter from a former colleague who served with him while Graham was Deputy, Graham presented his reasoning for wanting the position of Sheriff and spoke with confidence as he described what his priorities would be, and the need for integrity, honesty and assurance that the County had a managed tax office, court security and law enforcement coverage. He was asked about the current budget that the Calhoun County Commission had placed very little funding in and how he would manage that issue. Graham said that he would have to address that matter to the Commission and it would have to be resolved if the County had any hopes of obtaining the qualified Deputies needed.
Although Graham was the first candidate to officially apply to be considered for support from the Republican Executive Committee, there is still 30 days (unless the Commission appoints prior to that) for other candidates to be considered by the Executive Committee for support. Nathan Allison also attended the meeting stating that he intends to submit an application for consideration soon.
Chairman Roger Propst presented a letter to the Committee that will be submitted to the Calhoun County Commission with items of consideration during their process of appointing the Sheriff.
According to the law governing meeting procedures, the Calhoun County Commission cannot appoint a Sheriff during Wednesday’s meeting without it having been listed as an agenda item. The current published agenda states only “Resolution to Petition Circuit Court to Remove Sheriff and an Executive Session.” This was also confirmed by Commissioner Craig Arthur, who attended the meeting, and had been advised by the Secretary of State’s office that it was correct.
The Code for which which the appointment is governed by is listed below:
§3-10-8. Vacancies in offices of prosecuting attorney, sheriff, assessor and surveyor.
(a) Any vacancy occurring in the office of prosecuting attorney, sheriff, assessor or county surveyor shall be filled by the county commission within thirty days of the vacancy by appointment of a person of the same political party as the officeholder vacating the office. The appointed person shall hold the office for the period stated by section one of this article.
(b) Notwithstanding any code provision to the contrary, a county commission may appoint a temporary successor to the office of prosecuting attorney, sheriff, assessor or county surveyor until the requirements of this section have been met. The temporary successor may serve no more than thirty days from the date of the vacancy.
(c) If an election is necessary under section one of this article, the county commission, or the president thereof in vacation, shall be responsible for the proper proclamation, by order, and notice required by section one of this article.
(d) Section one of this article shall be followed with respect to any election needed to fill a vacancy, except that if the vacancy occurs after the primary cutoff date but not later than the general cutoff date, candidates to fill the vacancy shall be nominated by the county executive committee in the manner provided in section nineteen, article five of this chapter, as in the case of filling vacancies in nominations, and the names of the persons, so nominated and certified to the clerk of the county commission of the county, shall be placed upon the ballot to be voted at the next general election.
