By Toni Milbourne, The Journal
CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. —The Jefferson County Commission held a special meeting Monday to seek guidance from state officials on how to move forward with the appointment process in replacing Commissioners Tricia Jackson and Jennifer Krouse, who were removed from office by a three-judge panel earlier this month.
Commission President Steve Stolipher called the meeting, inviting Donald Kersey, chief of staff and former lead council to the West Virginia Secretary of State, to join to explain what the West Virginia Code says about the potential appointments. Kersey, who attend the meeting via telephone, told commissioners that there are two different code sections that could be relevant. The first, he said, is Code 3-10-7 which is the typical statute followed for an appointment due to a resignation. Under that Code section, Kersey said the commission has 30 days to fill the spots with members of the political party to which the former seat-holder belonged. In this case, Jackson would be replaced with a Republican appointee while Krouse would be replaced with a Mountain Party appointee because she changed her political party prior to her removal from office.
Kersey then outlined another process found in Code 6-6-7 which focuses more on the removal process. In that code section, he explained, it indicates that the County Commission could appoint from any party to fill the position on a temporary basis of 30 days or less.
When explaining this process, Kersey also told commissioners that if the three-judge panel should decide to suspend its order pending any appeal to their decision, Jackson and Krouse would return to their seats pending the results of said appeal. It is not known yet whether an appeal will be filed; however, that must also be done in a 30-day window from the original order handed down May 1.
