Our View: Too many problems with appointments

Why is it that in Sweetwater County, we can rarely make a political appointment without a hitch?

Yes, when Pat Drinkle was appointed to be Sweetwater County Assessor in 2012, there wasn’t anything strange involved, but that turned out to be the exception, not the rule for political appointments during the past decade.

Michele Irwin, one of three nominees to fulfill the remainder of Drinkle’s term, was forced to withdraw herself from contention last week after learning the mobile home she lives in at Hamel Ranch, which she owns, is considered personal property, not real property under statutes governing the requirements for county assessor. One of the qualifications specify a candidate must own real property within the county to be qualified. That’s mild compared to what happened during previous appointments.

Another issue involves questions raised about Clark Stith’s appointment last year to represent Rock Springs’ House District 48 in the Wyoming Legislature. According to Wyofile.com, Stith, who lived outside of the district, changed his voter registration to his fiancé’s home, within the district, seven days before the seat was vacated. The laws dictating residency requirements for the seats within the Wyoming Legislature specifically mention elections, but not appointments. There’s now a bill in the Wyoming Legislature that would change that.

That wouldn’t be the first time the legislature modified laws in response to disputes in Sweetwater County. When Don Van Matre was appointed to be a county commissioner after Paula Wonnacott resigned at the end of 2009, a dispute regarding how a politically-independent commissioner resulted in Sweetwater County legislators pushing a bill to clarify the process. Another commissioner-related dispute occurred when a district court judge was forced to decide who would fulfill Joe Oldfield’s term following his death in 2008. Commissioners Wally Johnson and Debby Dellai-Boese would not compromise on who they felt should succeed him.

We understand the importance of political power and making sure people are appointed that fulfill the qualifications set forth by statute. However, issues that stem from using vagueness in the law or petty squabbles don’t paint Sweetwater County in a good light. Those are the kinds of issues one would expect in Washington, D.C., not Wyoming.