Clerk choices selected

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Members, precinct men and women, and board members of the Weston County Republican Party gathered Tuesday evening in the meeting room at Pinnacle Bank to determine the three candidates for Weston County District Court Clerk to fill a vacancy left after the recent passing of Clerk Gidget Macke. 
Three candidates submitted resumés to the Republican Party, according to Weston County Republican Party Chairman Karen Drost. Those candidates were acting Weston County District Court Clerk Tina Cote, Melissa Ault and Vicki Keierleber. 
Each candidate was given a chance to speak to the gathered crowd, share their experience and any knowledge they possess qualifying them for the clerk’s position. The duty of the District Court clerk, according to Cote, is to be the caretaker for all the legal documents involved in the court system for Weston County. 
Each candidate brought a unique background involving business office experience, law office experience and more specifically experience in the Clerk of Court’s office. All cited that they believe they are qualified for the position and have the ability to work with the public and can take on the duties required of the clerk. 
All three candidates revealed when questioned that they are registered Republicans, although their reasons varied. 
After a short recess, the precinct men and women approved by motion moving all three candidates forward for commissioner approval. 
The Weston County Commissioners have scheduled a public meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Friday to meet with the candidates before making their final selection, according to Commissioner Marty Ertman, who was present at the Weston County Republic Party meeting. Ertman said that the original plan was to hold the meeting on Monday but due to scheduling conflicts the commissioners had to make the decision to hold the meeting Friday to allow for all commissioners to attend and be involved in the selection process. 
The candidate will serve until January of 2023, the end of the term begun by Macke in 2019, unless reelected in the 2022 general election, according to Drost. 
The process to select the new district court clerk began when the Weston County Commissioners declared the vacancy at their Nov. 5 meeting, initiating the process of the Republican Party’s statutory requirements to advertise and select three candidates within 15 days to forward to the commissioners.