Three candidates seek job

Webster County Supervisors will meet next week to replace County Attorney Jennifer Benson

Webster County supervisors held lengthy closed session meetings with three candidates for the Webster County attorney's position Tuesday, before voting to delay the decision until next week.

The supervisors have planned to appoint an attorney to replace Jennifer Benson, whose last day at the office was in late December. They now plan to discuss this appointment again at their Feb. 6 meeting.

Late Tuesday morning the supervisors met in closed session for about 45 minutes. For the bulk of this, they were joined by Boone County Attorney Dan Kolacia and Webster County Human Resources Director Ted Vaughn.

Kolacia and Vaughn arrived together from the third story of the courthouse, presumably from Vaughn's office. They left together after a time, leaving the supervisors to talk in closed session.

After this, the supervisors invited First Assistant Webster County Attorney Ryan Baldridge into a closed session, which lasted about 15 minutes.

Supervisors then spoke with attorney Charles Kenville, of Webster City, for about 20 minutes. Kenville declined to close the session while speaking with supervisors.

Vaughn did not attend the later interviews.

Following these interviews, the supervisors discussed reconvening the Compensation Board before setting the date of Feb. 6 for a potential vote on appointment.

The Compensation Board met prior to Jan. 16 to recommend salaries for Webster County elected officials. Every year the board makes recommendations, and the Board of Supervisors can set salaries at or below these recommendations -- but not go higher.

The board proposed a salary of $106,651 for the county attorney next year -- a 2.5 percent increase.

Kenville, a former public defender who is now in private practice, talked about his background in both prosecuting and defending cases. He was asked if there were any changes he would make to the office and about whether his work as a defender would create any conflict of interest for cases being prosecuted.

Kenville said he would make no staff changes, but wanted to see the office use more judgment in when to fight and when to offer a deal.

"I will hear things like, 'This is a standard offer.' This is the charge, this is the offer," Kenville said. "I don't think that gives you experience in exercising judgment, and when you're talking about what you want a prosecutor to have, you want a prosecutor to have good judgment. Which hill are you going to die on?"

Kenville said his background as a defender would cause some "short-term pain" for the office, but that this wouldn't last. On cases where he previously was involved with the defendant, he would have to recuse himself -- or if the defendant objects to that the state attorney general may have to be involved.

Over time this would no longer be a problem, Kenville said.

When asked if he would accept the recommended salary of about $106,000, Kenville said yes.

Five applications for the position were received, Supervisor Mark Campbell said at the Jan. 16 meeting. Their names were not disclosed.

At that meeting, Campbell said a subcommittee, which would include a judge or judges, would look over the applicants to make a recommendation.

Webster County Auditor Doreen Pliner said Tuesday that the applicants have been narrowed down to three, but could not confirm the names of the final three.

The closed session was made as per Iowa Code Section 21.5(i), which allows a board to hold a closed session when the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance or discharge is being considered, in order to prevent needless and irreparable injury to that individual's reputation.

Whoever is appointed will serve out the rest of Benson's term, which will conclude at the end of this year, and can run for re-election this year if they choose.