Clerk hearing scheduled — Judge to consider candidates after commissioners fail to appoint clerk
A district court hearing has been scheduled next month to determine who will temporarily fill the vacant Weston County clerk position after county commissioners failed to appoint a successor during a contentious and divided meeting earlier
this month.
According to a notice filed May 14 in Sixth Judicial District Court, Judge Matthew F.G. Castano has scheduled a one-day hearing for June 4 at 9 a.m. at the Weston County Courthouse in Newcastle.
The hearing follows a deadlocked May 5 meeting in which commissioners interviewed three candidates submitted by the Weston County Republican Party but ultimately failed to appoint any
of them.
Candidates Michael Tooman, Patricia Baumann and Stanley Jasinski each underwent extensive public interviews before commissioners attempted to make an appointment through a series of motions and votes. However, none of the candidates secured enough support from the board.
A motion to appoint Jasinski died for lack of a second, while a motion to appoint Baumann received a second but failed on a 1-2 vote. A later motion to appoint Tooman also failed to receive a second, leaving the board without a selection.
The failed votes prompted lengthy discussion among commissioners and the county attorney regarding state statutes governing vacancies in elected offices and whether the matter would ultimately need to be decided by a judge.
During the meeting, commissioners referenced similar situations in other Wyoming counties where courts became involved after county boards failed to act on vacancies.
The inability to reach a decision also highlighted divisions among commissioners over the direction of the clerk’s office ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
Several commissioners voiced concern about maintaining stability in the office during election preparation, while others questioned whether the Republican Party’s three nominees included the candidate best suited to continue operations already underway in the clerk’s office.
At the conclusion of the meeting, commissioners acknowledged the matter would likely require further legal review.
The newly filed court notice confirms the issue is now before the district court.
Court records show petitions connected to the matter were filed by interim Clerk Amber Green and Karen Drost against the Weston County Board of County Commissioners.
According to the court notice, the hearing will determine “who shall be appointed a temporary successor for the Office of the County Clerk for Weston County, Wyoming.”
“At said hearing, the Court will inquire into the qualifications, experience, and suitability of all competing candidates who have filed petitions with this Court seeking appointment for the vacant position,” the document states. All petitions of appointment shall be filed no later than five days prior to the hearing.”
The hearing will be open to the public, and the proceedings will be recorded by the court reporter, according to the filing.