Montezuma County Commissoners Decide Not To Fill Vacated Treasurer Office Position

The Montezuma County commissioners on Monday denied a request to replace an employee in the treasurer’s office. Treasurer Sherry Dyess had asked to fill the position of an employee who had recently resigned after three months on leave and specialized in handling foreclosures and related matters. But Commissioner Keenan Ertel said it sounded to him like Dyess was getting the department “down to the right size” and that the office seemed to be overstaffed compared to similar-sized counties. Commissioner Larry Don Suckla said the county will face a budget shortfall of more than $1 million next year and Ertel said he has made a commitment not to take the money from the reserves. Ertel recommended not filling the position until a new treasurer is elected in November. Dyess is term-limited. Ertel said, “Maybe the new treasurer can get more efficiencies out of the staff.”