By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com
MOUND CITY – After meeting with the Linn County Commissioners in a short executive session on Monday, Jan. 13, Linn County Attorney Justin Meeks, who had taken the oath of office minutes before proposed the hiring two part-time attorneys to assist him in the county attorney’s office.
Meeks was elected county attorney in November to replace Burton Harding, who did not seek re-election. Meeks had been the assistant county attorney for Harding.
Meeks told the commissioners that he realized that he did not need their approval on these items but wanted to be fully transparent about the changes of employment in his office.

Meeks told the commissioners that he wanted to hire former county counselor Mark Hagen as a contract attorney to fill in for the duel dockets, which are every other Wednesday. The commissioners agreed unanimously on hiring Hagen on contract for $2,500 a month.
Meeks then told the commissioners that his second change of employment was to hire previous county attorney Harding as a second, part-time assistant county attorney (ACA) with at a salary of $52,000 per year. Meeks said that Harding would be an employee rather than working on a contract basis. Meeks explained that, because they have a lot of dockets with several different judge, he would need that additional coverage.
Meeks said that he had really tried to fill the ACA position with a full-time attorney but because of the lack of attorneys in the area he has not been able to find one. The commissioners voted 2 to 1 to hire Harding with Commissioner Jim Johnson voting against the measure.
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