ELBA, Minn. – County Board member Steve Jacob said he isn’t pleased that his County District 3 will be without representation for five to eight months after he leaves to become a state legislator in January. “But it is as it is,” he said in a Winona Post interview. Why the gap in representation? Jacob cited legal scheduling complexities for a special election for his soon-to-be vacant County Board seat before May. He also acknowledged that the special election could be delayed even until August. Somewhat adroitly Jacob sidestepped that he himself could have avoided the gap in District 3 representation He could have resigned the County Board the morning of November 9 after winning election to State House of Representatives. He even could have resigned six months earlier, in May, when he declared his candidacy for the Legislature. He chose not to — even though the county’s election supervisor, Sandra Suchla, informed him of his options. In the Post interview Jacob explained what he did and didn’t do this way: “My gut response to that was no how, no way, was I going to have the name Steve Jacob associated with quitting.” Instead he chose to continue on the County Board at $24,300 a year plus insurance until January 3 — the very last end of his term on the County Board, which also is the date he will be take the oath in St. Paul as a state legislator. This way he doesn’t miss a single government paycheck. He goes immediately, you might say slickly, to $48,200 a year plus $66 for daily expenses and as much as $1,600 a month for temporary housing in St. Paul. Meanwhile, one-fifth of the Winona County citizens, the roughly 20,00 living in District 3, have no voice in county business for five to eight months.
Earlier: Jacob backs farm-supplier for County Board
Jacob. Bidding good-bye to Winona County Board with resignation not until the last possible hour. Then straight away to State House payroll. It makes personal financial sense, but what about the void – five to eight months – in representation for the people of County District 3 on the County Board?