Newly elected county officials and those re-elected were sworn in Tuesday. In a mixture of change and continuity, La Plata County now has new office holders in Sheriff Sean Smith, County Commissioner Brad Blake and Treasurer Allison Morrissey. They will join re-elected incumbents, Clerk & Recorder Tiffany Parker, Assessor Craig Larson and Surveyor Lawrence Connolly, as well as Coroner Jann Smith, who previously had been appointed to fill out the term of her predecessor, Carol Huser.
Together with incumbent commissioners Julie Westendorf and Gwen Lachelt, they have the makings of a great team. We can expect La Plata County to be well-run.
Blake will bring to the Board of County Commissioners his business background and, as the sole Republican on the board, a more conservative perspective. That is valuable, representative and in keeping with the county’s markedly purple political profile. As always, all three commissioners should remember that each represents all county residents, but the change should not be too dramatic. Blake is, after all, replacing another Republican.
The biggest changes should be in the Sheriff’s Office and that of the treasurer, where new faces are replacing long-time office holders.
Morrissey is taking over from Ed Murray, who served as treasurer for 28 years. Regardless of what policies or procedures she implements, the simple fact that someone else is in the job is a major change. Beyond that, expect little drama from Morrissey. She is smart, focused, experienced and enthusiastic about a job the details of which few of us know much about.
The sheriff has a more visible presence, and any changes there should be noticeable. There, too, though, changes are inevitable. Sean Smith took the oath as sheriff Tuesday, but his predecessor, Duke Schirard, had been sheriff for 20 years with a particular way of doing things.
Anyone following Schirard would be a change, but Smith has emphasized only moving forward, not change for its own sake. We hope for good things.
Coroner Jann Smith – no kin to the sheriff – went before the voters for the first time and was returned to the office she already held by appointment. It was a well-deserved recognition of her experience and dedication to the job.
The other returning incumbents – Connolly, Larson and Parker – all were unopposed. And for good reason, all three are models of quiet competency.
Connolly is in a job that largely goes unnoticed unless something goes wrong. The voters correctly noted that nothing has gone wrong.
Larson handles a largely thankless task efficiently and calmly. He goes out of his way to help his constituents understand the complex and arcane mechanisms of property taxes, and with that offers a reassuring reminder that his office and staff are operating equitably. With taxation, nothing is more important than understanding that things are being handled fairly. Larson covers that base with consistency.
The county clerk’s office has been well-run for a long time. Parker, however, has taken that to a new level. Elections go off without a hitch. The office is cheerful and the staff helpful and pleasant. In many places, “department of motor vehicles” is code for long waits and bureaucratic dysfunction. In Parker’s shop, getting new tags can feel more like a visit with friends.
So, welcome, or welcome back, to all the county officials sworn in Tuesday. The voters should have high expectations.
