VIENNA — Gov. Mike Kehoe appointed Rodney Southard on March 27 as the eastern district commissioner to replace Doug Drewel, who retired Jan. 31. Southard, who is awaiting Senate confirmation, attended the March 30 commission meeting as a visitor.

Missouri state statute 49.060 requires the governor to fill county vacancies within 60 days, and the Senate must confirm appointments if there is at least one year left in the term. Since there are more than two years left, Southard cannot take the position until his confirmation.

Southard, a fifth-generation Missouri farmer, has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Missouri S&T. Before retiring, he was a support specialist for New Solutions, a company that connects federal agencies with workers aged 55 or older to work on projects. He was also a water specialist for the U.S. Geological Survey.

He is currently the chairman of Missouri University extension in Maries County, and he is the former vice chair of the Maries Soil and Water. He is currently on the board of the St. James R-1 School District. Southard is also involved with the Missouri Farm Bureau.

The commissioners also discussed various state and county tax proposals during the meeting such as Proposition A. They emphasized the need for Proposition A to pass, which continues a 0.5 percent sales tax to fund “road maintenance, citizen safety and general operations.”

“We’ll be lucky if any of them passes,” County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers said.

When Southard moved his family to Maries County, it was right before an election. His wife, his daughter, and he all voted on a law enforcement proposition that passed by two votes. Had his family not voted in that election, it would have failed by one vote.

“I know a lot of people feel like in their minds that the April election isn’t an important like the August or the November election, but really it is because it’s all local. It’s your local schools, your cities,” Rodgers said.

The commissioners also discussed House Bill 2535 to provide tax relief for veterans while increasing the cigarette tax on nicotine products. They also discussed bills in the legislature to increase the salaries of prosecuting attorneys in the state. While they want to give tax breaks to people like seniors, they also expressed concern about how these measures affect smaller counties to maintain sufficient tax revenue.

“We need lights on too,” Western District Commissioner Patrick Kleffner said.

The commissioners also researched getting the courthouse tested following a mold complaint. They called a company to get a quote and will further consider the matter.