County assessor position filled

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Deputy County Assessor Kara Lenardson will take the reins as county assessor, replacing the current Weston County assessor, Tina Conklin, after her resignation becomes effective on Dec. 31. Lenardson will be sworn in at 8 a.m. on Jan. 3, the first business day of the new year and will fill out the last year, 2022, of Conklin’s term. 
Following Conklin’s resignation, which was accepted by the county commissioners on Dec. 7, the Weston County Republican Party organized a meeting of the central
committee to pick three candidates, whose names were to be forwarded to the commissioners. 
The meeting was convened on Dec. 20. The committee chose to forward the name of Kara Lenardson to the board.
“After interviewing Mrs. Lenardson, the Weston County Republican Party Central Committee was confident that Mrs. Lenardson was a candidate of high honor and integrity who would instinctively do the right thing for the people of Weston County,” said Chairman Kari Drost. 
On Dec. 21, the commissioners added the appointment of Lenardson to the end of the meeting’s agenda. Before the motion to add the item to the agenda, Commissioner Tony Barton commented on the abrupt nature of the addition. 
“If they would have forwarded three names, or if there had been more than one applicant, I think it wouldn’t have been very just of us to add that onto our agenda at the last minute,” Barton said. “To make an appointment, where we only have one candidate, I have no problem adding that to our agenda.” 
Commissioner Ed Wagoner said that the last-minute addition to the agenda would prevent the need for a special meeting to meet appointment requirements outlined by state statute. 
“I see no point in not moving forward today,” Wagoner said before the board voted unanimously to appoint Lenardson. 
Lenardson, who plans to run for reelection in 2022, told the News Letter Journal that she is grateful she was selected to finish Conklin’s term. 
“Initially, Tina has stated she wouldn’t seek another term. At that time, I had decided I would run in the 2022 election,” Lenardson said. “It seemed to be the next logical step in my career. Ultimately, she decided to retire early, leaving the vacancy for the unfinished term. I applied to fulfill the term.”
Conklin said that she has confidence in Lenardson and that she will do great as the county assessor. She added that she is very happy Lenardson was chosen to replace her.