In a striking reversal, county commissioners voted 2-1 Monday to rescind their controversial decision of three weeks earlier to hire a county administrator.
Commissioner Dianne Novak made the surprise motion despite also having made the original motion to create the position, the idea of which was rejected by 55.3 percent of voters in a non-binding referendum a year ago.
Randy Dallke, who opposed Novak’s original motion, agreed with her to rescind it. Kent Becker, who favored the original motion, cast the lone vote against reversing it.
Novak’s motion came after concerned citizens, some of whom already had left the meeting, spoke out against hiring an administrator.
“I don’t understand why we’re pushing for an administrator for the county if the people already have voted against this,” spectator Patricia Nystrom said. “If you are as concerned about the budget as you say you are, how are we going to pay for the administrator?”
(Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)