Kane County Commission appoints Jeffrey Scott as interim county attorney

KANE COUNTY, Utah — The Kane County Commission unanimously appointed Jeffrey Scott as interim Kane County Attorney at a special public meeting on Feb. 19, 2025.

The commission voted after hearing five-minute presentations from three applicants and a period of informal questions. The commissioners made the appointment by motion, with a voice vote; all members present voted in favor.

The position carries both civil- and criminal-law duties. During the meeting commissioners reviewed a list of responsibilities the county attorney oversees, including creating and managing the attorney’s office budget; supervising the office’s staff; prosecuting felony and other criminal cases in district, justice and juvenile courts; administering the county recovery court; managing victim services and the victim advocate; chairing the Children’s Justice Center multidisciplinary team; serving as civil counsel to the Kane County Sheriff and other elected officials and department heads; and participating on internal county boards and external professional groups such as statewide prosecutors’ organizations and training programs (including Open and Public Meetings Act training). The applicants were asked to address how their experience prepared them for these duties.

Three finalists presented to the commission in a randomly drawn order. The applicants were Jeffrey Scott (appointee), Kent Burghrath and Ben Manklebrane. Each applicant had up to five minutes to speak and two minutes to answer predetermined questions; the panel then held a short informal Q&A. Commissioners said they also weighed public input, noting they had received about 50 written letters and other communications during the selection process.

Ben Manklebrane, one of the applicants, said he returned to Kane County after law school and emphasized local ties and a record of prosecuting local cases. “I humbly ask for your trust and an opportunity to serve as county attorney,” Manklebrane told commissioners.

Discussion among commissioners emphasized continuity for county staff and the need for a smooth transition. Commissioners described reviewing qualifications, consulting with staff and residents, and balancing the office’s operational needs with the fact that the appointee could run in the next county election. Commissioners also noted that current County Attorney Robert Van Dyke was attending a confirmation hearing in the Senate during the meeting.

After deliberation in the order drawn earlier in the meeting, a commissioner moved that the panel appoint Jeffrey Scott to the Kane County Attorney position. The motion passed on a unanimous voice vote; the chair announced the motion carried and congratulated Scott. Commissioners did not record a roll-call tally in the public motion; the voice vote was recorded as unanimous.

The commission adjourned at 1:58 p.m.

What happens next: The commission’s appointee will serve until voters select a county attorney at the next scheduled election cycle referenced by commissioners during the meeting (approximately the next one scheduled in about a year and a half, as discussed at the meeting). The office’s broad duties and the steps for transition were discussed but no implementation timeline beyond the appointment was set during the session.