The Lincoln County Highway Committee took just five minutes last Thursday to fill the void left by Randy Scholz’s elevation from Highway Commissioner to County Administrative Coordinator – at least temporarily.
By a unanimous decision after a brief discussion in closed session, the committee named Jerry Jagmin interim commissioner. The committee will advertise for a full-time replacement and pass on a final recommendation to the full county board. The process of advertising the position, interviewing candidates and getting board approval is expected to take between 90 and 120 days.
Jagmin said he is interested in the position and will apply once it is advertised.
He is a 16-year veteran with the department and was patrol superintendent prior to being tapped to fill the commissioner’s spot until a permanent replacement is named. He said he will juggle both positions for the short-term.
When asked about the budget shortfall the department has been dealing with the last couple years, Jagmin said he was not ready to discuss that yet. Monday was his first full day in the position and he is still getting up to speed on the operations of the entire department.
“I plan on making minimal changes until they make a permanent decision on who will be the highway commissioner,” he said.
Although his position as patrol superintendent made him a member of management, he characterized his relations with the union members in the department as good. He said he didn’t have any idea how they viewed his stepping into the leadership role.
“We have a great crew, a great office staff and I don’t foresee any problems,” he said.
Graham Rankin, a member of the highway committee said after Thursday’s meeting that Jagmin was the right man to step into the void left by Scholz’s departure.
“He’s a great guy,” Rankin said.