Fergus County treasurer temporarily closes office amid staff illness and state registration issues

The Fergus County treasurer announced a temporary closure of the treasurer's office, citing staff illness and operational problems that left counters backlogged.

The treasurer said a deputy called in sick and had been diagnosed with "walking pneumonia and COVID," describing the situation as "a disaster down there" and saying "more mistakes [are] being made than should be." The treasurer said she asked the deputy to go home to rest and that interim coverage was strained because a recently trained employee and others were still learning the work.

County officials discussed short-term staffing options: one employee indicated willingness to help but was told to coordinate with Christie, and officials said another staffer, Skyler, is "almost done with her training." The treasurer said Kathy is expected to be back "the twentieth" (month not specified).

Officials also reported a state-level problem with vehicle registration stickers. The treasurer said several counties did not receive current-year stickers and that ten stickers found in Harlow were not valid for the year; participants said that distribution problems were caused by the state's system rather than county staff.

To reduce in-person demand, officials urged residents to renew tags and pay taxes online; the treasurer noted that stickers are mailed after online renewals. Speakers suggested the local library as an alternative for residents without home internet access.

The treasurer characterized the office backlog as severe and warned of long waits while staff work to balance tills and restore normal service. No formal timeline for a full reopening was provided during the meeting.