Renville County votes preliminary plan to make auditor and recorder appointive

The Renville County Commission on June 3 adopted Resolution 2025-13 preliminarily redesignating the county Auditor and Recorder/Clerk of Court from elective to appointive offices, proposing the change to take effect Jan. 1, 2026. Commissioner Jamee Hansen moved for adoption; the motion carried on a 3-0 vote.

The resolution and the accompanying plan, drafted under North Dakota Century Code §11-10.2-02, say the county seeks to ensure “each office is held by a qualified individual” and that duties, qualifications, compensation methods and support-staff levels would remain unchanged. The plan notes a public meeting on the proposal will be held July 16, 2025, and reminds residents they retain the right to petition or referendum if a final resolution is later adopted. State's Attorney Seymour Jordan briefed the Board on the statutory process.

Supporters in the written plan argued elected-office eligibility (anyone 18 and 30 days in-county) creates risk that unqualified candidates could be elected, potentially requiring the county to hire outside accounting help or exposing the county to legal or financial liabilities. The resolution text states, in part, “The plan is for the offices of Auditor and Recorder/Clerk of Court to become appointive on January 1, 2026.”

The Board authorized the Auditor to publish the preliminary resolution as required by statute and set procedures for public input. Adoption of a final resolution requires a separate affirmative vote within two years, and residents may still override such a change by petition or referendum if applicable.