Caucus to choose new county clerk scheduled for Nov. 1

Roger Sims, Journal Staff
6 days ago
2 min read

By Roger Sims

MOUND CITY – The Linn County Republican Party Central Committee is expected to caucus on Saturday, Nov. 1, to choose a replacement for County Clerk Danielle Souza. Souza submitted her resignation of Oct. 15, citing a need to focus on her family.

Souza was appointed by the central committee in January following the retirement of long-time county clerk David Lamb.

In a statement to the Linn County Commission on Tuesday, Oct. 14, she in part faulted Lamb for the difficulties she had experienced in the office because he didn’t leave enough detailed instructions for her to follow. She also blamed a couple of former county employees for making her job more difficult by making several requests under the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA).

Lamb nominated his deputy clerk Darcy Wilson for the post, but the committee voted for Souza instead. Lamb had trained Wilson for the clerk’s job about a year prior to the caucus to replace him. Souza fired Wilson shortly after she took the office, and Wilson was quickly hired by the Miami County Clerk’s office, where she continues to be employed.

On Sunday, Oct. 19, central committee chair Becky Johnson said that, according to state regulations, the committee had 21 days to choose a replacement. Almost all of the 23 members of the committee were at a caucus to elect Debbie Snyder to replace retiring Register of Deeds Christy Schmitz.

The consensus of those attending at the caucus was that 4 p.m. on Nov. 1 was the best time to meet. The meeting is expected to again be at the Bunker Hill Community Center in Mound City.

Johnson said she already has one résumé in hand and she was expecting more before the caucus.