Trinity County supervisors on Oct. 10 authorized a conditional employment offer to Ellie Sharp to fill the combined office of Clerk‑Recorder‑Assessor and Registrar of Voters for the expired term ending December 2026, subject to background and reference checks and final negotiations.

The decision followed a special meeting dominated by a public interview process in which five applicants appeared by Zoom or in person for structured questions from the five‑member board. The role combines elections administration, property assessment and records management — functions supervisors said are central to county operations and public trust.

Why this matters: The office oversees voter registration and election operations, maintains vital and property records and sets assessments that fund county services. Supervisors described both election integrity and fair property valuation as priorities, and they sought a candidate the board believes can manage the technical, legal and public‑facing responsibilities of the combined office.

Board process and outcome
The board conducted oral interviews for five finalists earlier in the day. After all interviews concluded, supervisors deliberated in public and each disclosed their preferred candidate. The board then voted to authorize staff to extend a conditional offer to Ellie Sharp, with the condition that standard background and reference checks be completed and reviewed before a final appointment or employment agreement is executed.

The vote was recorded as unanimous. Vote tally: 5 yes, 0 no. The board confirmed there will be no closed‑session deliberation tied to this item at this meeting and asked staff to proceed with the checks and bring the results back to the board.

What candidates said
Ellie Sharp described a long career in elections and systems implementation: “My name is Ellie Sharp. I am an experienced elections official, government services liaison, legislative analyst, and corporate finance auditor with over 18 years experience serving within both public and private sectors,” she told the board, and she detailed work on a statewide voter registration and election management system in Nevada and projects to streamline vote‑by‑mail processing.

Madeline (last name not specified in the interview transcript), a current county employee who said she has worked in the Clerk‑Recorder‑Assessor office for 11 years and supervised portions of the office for five years, described hands‑on experience with assessment software migrations (CREST to Megabyte, Tyler for recordings), ballot processing and periodic Board of Equalization audits. Several supervisors noted her institutional knowledge and experience with local assessment processes.

Other applicants addressed a mix of relevant topics. One applicant said they had limited direct elections experience but emphasized management and records skills; another described public‑facing and records‑management experience from prior posts. Several candidates discussed balancing the four distinct functions of the office by relying on staff expertise, maintaining cross‑training and meeting statutory deadlines.

Board discussion
Supervisors said they weighed two primary needs: secure, transparent election administration and fair, legally compliant property valuation. Some board members cited constituent concerns about assessment levels and urged the next director to prioritize clear communication with property owners. Others emphasized the need to modernize systems and cross‑train staff so operations are resilient if key employees depart.

Next steps and timeline
Staff was directed to complete reference and background checks for Ellie Sharp and to return findings to the board; supervisors authorized a conditional offer contingent on satisfactory results. The board noted the appointed term runs through December 2026 and that the county will hold the next election for the office in the June 2026 cycle. The successful candidate’s exact start date and any overlap or transition arrangements were not specified by the board; candidates discussed varied availability during interviews (examples given to the board: immediate to within a few weeks to November availability). The board also noted that county staff had engaged an outside elections consultant to provide additional elections expertise during the transition period.

Formal action
The board’s formal action was a motion authorizing staff to issue a conditional offer to Ellie Sharp subject to satisfactory reference and background checks and then to proceed to negotiate employment terms; the motion passed on a 5‑0 voice vote.

Taper / Looking ahead
Supervisors said they expect staff and the new officeholder to focus on short‑term continuity for upcoming election operations while also pursuing longer‑term improvements to records access and assessment processes. The appointment remains contingent on the outcome of the checks and any subsequent negotiations and public reporting to the board.