News : Sanders resigns supervisor seat; officials to discuss vacancy Thursday

Now that Benton County Supervisor Jason Sanders has officially resigned, the process of replacing him will begin.

First elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2002, Sanders has also been a youth pastor at Oak Grove Church since that year. He and his family have decided to move to Ogden, Utah, to help begin a new church there. See the Sanders announcement on their family blog HERE.

"The plan is to begin ministry in Fall of 2013, and I believe Ogden, Utah, is out of my supervisor district, so I will have to resign sometime before then," Sanders told Vinton Today. "Right now, we really don't know anymore than that."

Sanders won office to the District 1 seat (which includes the Urbana and Shellsburg areas) in 2002 by defeating then-incumbent Ed Sass. He also defeated Sass (and Duane Eldred) in 2006 and again in 2010. That year, Sanders had originally decided to not seek re-election but later organized a write-in campaign for the 2010 GOP primary when no other Republican candidates filed papers.

Benton County Auditor Jill Marlow sent the following notice to area media on Tuesday:

THERE WILL BE A MEETING OF THE AUDITOR, TREASURER, AND RECORDER PURSUANT TO IOWA CODE 69.8(4) FOR THE PURPOSES OF DETERMINING THE METHOD FOR FILLING A VACANCY IN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

LOCATION: 2nd Floor Boardroom, Benton County Courthouse, Vinton, IA

DATE: Thursday, July 11, 2013

TIME: 10:00 A.M.

AGENDA:

10:00 A.M. – CALL TO ORDER

1. Determine Method For Filling A Vacancy On The Board Of Supervisors – Appointment or Election

2. If the vacancy is filled by appointment – set dates: for receiving applications from interested persons, for reviewing applications, and for appointment.

3. If the vacancy is filled by election – set date for special election.