The flag at the Douglas County Courthouse in Minden is at half staff in honor of President Carter.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
The impending demise of the elected position of public administrator doesn’t mean the county isn’t required to have someone do the job.
“Following the abolishment of the elected public administrator’s office, Douglas County is responsible for employing someone to carry out those responsibilities,” according to Assistant County Manager Wendy Lang.
County commissioners will conduct a public hearing today on the abolishment of the elected position and determine whether they would prefer an employee take over the duties or enter a contract with someone.
“In either scenario, it is anticipated support will be required through additional professional services, such as estate liquidation, movers, cleaning, accounting and legal services,” Lang said.
The proposed salary range for an employee is $95,118-133,162.
County officials are seeking $150,000 from the general fund to augment the administrator’s operating budget to cover expenditures for the rest of the year.
Those expenses include paying the public administrator, storage fees, professional services for the evaluation and liquidation of estates and legal funds.
The county doesn’t have a good idea of what revenues would be available to offset that.
“Whether the public administrator is approved as a new position or performed via an independent contract, it is expected the cost will be very similar,” Lang said. “In both scenarios, qualified applicants will be solicited and evaluated objectively, and county commissioners will need to confirm the appointment as public administrator.”
Officials said a hired public administrator should be placed under Community Services, which has been performing the duties since Steve Walsh resigned in December.
The ordinance establishes requirements that include being 21 years or older and not having a felony or having been sued for misrepresentation, theft or conversion, according to Lang.
“Anyone employed has the duty to be responsible for the estate of a person who dies in Douglas County either intestate or without an executor and who has no next of kin allowed to administer an estate,” according to Lang. “A person dies intestate who dies without a valid will, trust, estate plan or dies without leaving anything to testify what their wishes were with respect to the disposal of property after death.”
