Clay County lays out timeline to appoint constitution review commission by Feb. 15

County staff and counsel outlined the timetable and criteria for forming the Clay County Constitution Review Commission, a body required by the county constitution.

County counsel said the review commission must be in place by Feb. 15, 2026, and explained that the county must appoint seven members who meet specific eligibility rules: each member must be a registered voter, a county resident for at least two years and a resident of their district for at least one year. At least three members must be from the Eastern district and at least three from the Western district. Members cannot be county employees, contractors, vendors, relatives of elected officers within a specified degree, or have served on the previous review commission.

Staff said they will distribute a two-page information packet and an online application (JotForm) to commissioners and that they would like each commissioner to submit a primary and alternate nominee (an A and B pick). The timeline outlined at the meeting asked for nominations to be provided to staff by Jan. 27 (so they can be discussed on Jan. 29) with final approval by resolution at a Feb. 5 meeting, leaving the Feb. 15 statutory deadline for commission formation.

County counsel described the selection as a public process, recommended commissioners interview prospective nominees and said staff will verify basic qualifications (residency, voter status, conflicts of interest). Several commissioners supported the approach of each commissioner nominating a candidate from their district to help ensure the minimum district representation.

The commission gave general consensus to the proposed timeline and asked staff to provide the packet and district maps to support nominations.