Top county public works official resigns, departure date unclear

By Charlene Sims, Journal staff

LCJeditor@icloud.com

MOUND CITY – After going into an executive session for job performance for non-elected personnel requested by Public Works Administrator Jesse Walton on Monday, June 1, Linn County Commissioners Jason Hightower and Jim Johnson announced that they needed to advertise the position of Public Works Administrator. Commission Chair Alison Hamilton was not at the meeting.

No final date was discussed for Walton's employment, and Johnson asked if the ad should run for a a couple of weeks or until it was filled.

Walton had also asked that Rose Mohler, deputy clerk and human resources representative, attend the closed door session.

Walton was originally hired by the county on November 6, 2023, as the foreman for the north road shop. He became the road and bridge operations supervisor (public works operation director) under Public Works Administrator Shaun West on Oct. 28, 2024.

When West’s employment was terminated on April 7, 2025, Walton took over his position as an interim public works administrator on that date. The position was advertised for and Walton was hired as the public works administrator on July 28, 2025.

Zackary Reagan was hired May 4, 2026, as the Assistant Public Works administrator. When the assistant public works administrator position was discussed at the Feb. 23, 2026 meeting, Walton told the commissioners that he and Johnson had talked about not hiring a solid waste coordinator but instead making that part of the assistant public works director position. That position would work out of the public works office and would also be over the noxious weed department.