WINFIELD, W.Va. — Putnam County will finish 2022 with only two county commissioners.
A day after the resignation of Commissioner Ron Foster, Putnam County Commission President Andy Skidmore said he’s inclined to leave the position vacant until the newly-elected commissioner comes on board on Jan. 1, 2023.
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“I think we’re just up against the term anyway,” Skidmore told MetroNews Tuesday. “We only have two scheduled meetings between now and when the next elected commissioner would take office.”
Foster submitted his resignation Friday. He explained why in a Monday news release. The resignation became effective Tuesday.
The task of filling a vacancy falls to the remaining commissioners. That process can take up to a month by law and if that can’t happen the county’s executive committee of the departed commissioner’s party comes up with names to recommend to the remaining commissioners. The process itself could take more than two months, Skidmore said.
“Yeah to get somebody in place and up to speed by the November meeting doesn’t make a lot of sense to me,” he said.
Plus Skidmore said the agenda for November and especially December is particularly light. There is a zoning issue on the November meeting agenda which they are up to speed on, but if there’s no consensus it will be delayed until after the first of the year and he newly-elected third commissioner is in place.
Former commissioner Jim Withrow, a Democrat, is facing former Putnam County Sheriff Steve Deweese, a Republican, in next Tuesday’s General Election. Deweese defeated Foster in the May Primary.