Commission split on hiring former county clerk to help with 2027 budget
- Charlene Sims, Journal staff
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
By Charlene Sims, Journal staff
MOUND CITY – On a 2-to-1 vote taken on April 27, the Linn County Commission hired former County Clerk David Lamb on a contractural basis to help current County Clerk Chasity Ware with the 2027 budget. Commission Chair Alison Hamilton voted against hiring Lamb.
Ware explained to the commissioners, “I would be the first to say that I am not comfortable, nor experienced enough to complete our budget for Linn County, to sit with each department head as well as you, the commissioners or the townships. And so I have been reaching out to other clerks to find out who they use.
“The one individual specifically that they use, Carolyn Brock, is booked, is not able to get us on the schedule this year. I did reach out to our auditor as well, who has done some of that in the past. He also is booked, not able to do it.
“So, unless you have someone that you would like to recommend, my recommendation is to hire David Lamb on a a contractual basis because he did the county budget for 20-plus years. He knows it very well. And as I have looked over the extensive documents that have to be completed here within the county then as well as being sent to the state.
“Again, he has done those for many years. So I need a thought process, or recommendation how you would like for me to move forward with that.”
Commissioner Jason Hightower said that he was good with David helping out.
Commissioner Jim Johnson, attending by phone, said that he was fine with that too.
Hamilton asked Ware, “Do you know how much it’s going to cost the county?”
“I can assure you it’s not going to cost $25,000,” said Ware, referring to the cost of bringing in outside help to help former Clerk Danielle Souza. ”So, I do know that.”
“But, is he going to do what you think Scot Loyd did?” asked Hamilton. “I’m assuming you are talking about Scot Loyd and what he brought last year? I don’t know if it was worth it. I’m not saying it is or it isn’t.
“But as far as some of the things we were wanting, appropriations within the budgets, within the departments. David Lamb is really there to, I’m assuming just to kind of help you with the right paperwork or is he going to help with individual departments?”
“He’s going to help with individual departments. Correct. He’s willing to do that,” said Ware. “If you’re asking for a dollar amount of whether it’s going to be $10,000 or $12,000, I do not believe it will even come close to that. I think we’re going to be closer in the $5,000 to maybe $7,000 range. And a lot of that will just depend on the time frame that it takes us to get this.
“I know last year some deadlines were not met and that’s my goal to make sure that we meet those deadlines and everything is done on time like it has been in the past prior.”
Hamilton changed the subject and asked why the county’s budget was not online right now. Ware said that the people doing the new website had everything they needed to put it online.
Ware said she had spoken to them last Tuesday at a training she was attending. They said they were going to look into it.
Ware clarified, “We don’t place it online, they (website company) do. So, I mean, they have the documentation to be able to do that.”
After a period of silence, Hamilton asked Ware, “I mean do you need a motion from us? It’s your department.”
Ware explained, “You guys ultimately make that decision because the money is going to come out of the courthouse.”
Hightower asked Ware if she needed a motion and she said she thought so.
“I’ll make a motion that we hire David Lamb to assist on a contractual basis with our budget for 2027,” said Hightower.
After more silence, it was determined that Johnson was no longer connected on the phone line with the commission meeting.
Tension seemed to build in the meeting as Ware was trying to connect with Johnson.
When Johnson could not be contacted, Hamilton said, “We can try again later. I’m not going to second that so, we can move to have it on the agenda for next week if you’d like. Or you can wait for Jim to call back in.”
Hightower asked if the motion dies for lack of a second. At that time County Counselor Jacklyn Paletta, who was attending on Zoom, interjected, “Wait, you can also make a motion to table it.”
Hamilton asked Hightower if he wanted to just go ahead and make a motion to table it until Monday.
Hightower agreed.
Then Hamilton made a motion to table hiring David Lamb to help with the budget for 2027 until Monday.
At that point, Johnson reconnected by phone with the meeting.
Hamilton said she was still going to make the motion to table it for May 4.
Ware explained to Johnson what had been going on.
Johnson said he would second the motion to hire David Lamb.
Ware asked Paletta if that was okay to do that.
Hamilton answered, “No, it’s not because it’s already died for lack of a second. I’ve motioned to table it. So we’re on a total different motion. We can have that one die for lack of a second and redo it. Motion dies for lack of a second.”
Hightower repeated his motion, “I’ll make a motion to hire David Lamb to help with the budget for 2027 on a contractual basis.”
Johnson seconded that motion. Hightower and Johnson voted approve it with Hamilton voting against it. Hamilton did not add any reason for her no vote.
When Lamb retired in January of 2025, he had trained Darcy Wilson for nearly a year to take over his job. But the Linn County Republican Committee did not choose Wilson did not chose her, instead voting for Souza, who stayed in that position until she resigned effective Nov. 1, 2025. The Linn County Republican Committee then chose Ware to take over the county clerk’s position.
In May of 2025, the commissioners approved a contract with Scot Loyd for $25,000 plus travel and processing to help Souza, who was not familiar with county budgets, to do the 2026 budget.
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