Election and Appointment of Commissioners

Election and Appointment of Commissioners. The quality and quantity of leadership provided by the Commissioners determines the success of the districts in developing and implementing an effective soil and water conservation program. The Commission recognizes that the election and appointment of commissioners are extremely important. The Soil and Water Conservation District law states: ...The Commission shall pay all the expenses of such elections; shall supervise conduct thereof; shall prescribe regulations governing the conduct of such elections and the determination of the eligibility of voters therein; and shall publish the results of same... In order to most effectively carry out these duties, the Commission recognizes that the local commissioners and their employees can provide a most valuable service, even though they do not have any legal authority or responsibility. The Commission will depend upon the commissioners to provide assistance in carrying out the election and appointment of commissioners. This assistance will help to assure that all elections and appointments are handled in accordance with the law as well as with the policies of the Commission and also help to recruit qualified individuals to serve as commissioners. Each prospective commissioner must sign the "Prospective Commissioner Agreement" which is located on the back of the Nominating Petition (ELC-3) (Exhibit 3) and Appointment Form (Exhibit 9). It is most important that the prospective commissioner has a general understanding of the authorities and duties of a commissioner before he/she agrees to be nominated or recommended. In the election process the Commission will work primarily with a "contact person" who is appointed by the board of SWCD Commissioners. This person must be an appointed commissioner. The responsibilities of the "contact person" will be provided to him/her by the Commission (Exhibit 8). The Commission office has qualified employees available who will provide assistance to districts in the election and appointment of commissioners.