Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Freeborn County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $15,000 sign-on bonus for the county’s next assessor as it continues its search to fill the position.

The bonus will be paid in two installments: $5,000 upon the successful completion of a six-month probationary period and $10,000 on the candidate’s one-year anniversary.

The county has been without a permanent assessor since Oct. 16 after former Assessor Candice Lahann resigned after eight months in the position for a new opportunity in Olmsted County.

Since then, the county has been actively recruiting without any success. In March it adjusted the starting pay grade in hopes of attracting more qualified applicants.

It has also worked with Houston County for interim services for a while before bringing back Lahann for interim services for a month.

County Administrator Melanie Aeschliman said the county has not received any qualified applicants and noted that Dodge County has also agreed to come in and do interim services for the county.

State law requires counties to fill the position within 90 days, and the county has already received two 90-day extensions on filling the position and is in the middle of a 60-day extension that goes until mid-June.

Board Chairman Brad Edwin said he has reached out to the state legislators representing the county to talk with them about the restraints the state puts on counties for requirements for a county assessor, particularly that the state does not allow a person to obtain the certification needed while in the role.

Minnesota requires county assessors to have a Senior Accredited Minnesota Assessor certification. Assessors with at least five years of assessment experience who hold an Accredited Minnesota Assessor license and complete the appropriate courses may obtain a SAMA license. A person with a SAMA license can perform all duties required in the classification and appraisal of real and personal property for property tax purposes, according to the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

Fourth District Commissioner Chris Shoff said he would support the action but was worried that it would open the door for other similar action.

Second District Commissioner Dawn Kaasa pointed out that it was extenuating circumstances in this situation.

The action passed unanimously.