By Sara Quam
Robert Meester will no longer occupy the office of county assessor as the Rock County Board voted Monday not to reappoint him.
In a special board meeting, commissioners met in closed executive session for about an hour before taking the unanimous vote. They also met last Tuesday before the regular County Board meeting.
Meester declined to comment except for saying that he was "shocked" to learn of the board's decision after his 17 years of service. His term expires Dec. 31, but Meester has taken an administrative leave until then.
"I don't think any of the board members slept this weekend," County Administrator Kyle Oldre said. "In seven years of working with the board, I can't think of any decision they've had to make that measures up to the difficulty of this one."
Because the assessor is appointed in four-year terms, the County Board can terminate employment by simply not renewing the contract.
The county has received complaints about Meester from other counties, Rock County staff and the public. No single incident but rather a build-up of problems reportedly prompted the board's decision.
Specific reasons for non-renewal are not necessarily public when the county opts to not renew a contract.
In most cases, department heads work under the county administrator or are elected by the public. Only two department heads require a board vote to terminate employment - the assessor and county engineer - so the board's vote on this personnel issue is unique.
Through his job, Luverne Realtor Gene Cragoe talked to Meester at least two or three times a week. Cragoe said he found Meester to be consistently informative and helpful so he was surprised the county is no longer employing him.
Cragoe also acknowledged that he's heard of others having difficulty with Meester, but he just hasn't had those experiences himself.
The county will immediately begin the process of appointing another assessor, but the position has been historically difficult to fill - locally and statewide.
Nobles County has indicated a willingness to assist Rock County in the meantime. Pipestone County, ironically, is also without a county assessor after a recent retirement in that office.