Changes are in store for the Greene County attorney’s office. County attorney Thomas Laehn told the county supervisors at their Aug. 19 meeting that assistant county attorney Laura Snider is running for the Iowa House of Representatives to serve District 28. If she were to win, she would transition to a part-time position in Greene County come January.
Laehn went on to announce to the supervisors that he will not run for a third term in 2026. He has openly shared with constituents since being elected as county attorney in 2018 that he planned to serve only two terms.
With the supervisors’ go-ahead, Laehn will begin looking for a fulltime assistant county attorney. The new hire would cover Snider’s caseload should her bid for the Iowa House be successful. In addition, he or she would be in a position to run for county attorney in 2026.
Laehn first came to Greene County as a law clerk during the summer of 2015. He was hired as assistant to county attorney Nic Martino in May 2017, and became assistant county attorney when he was admitted to the Iowa Bar that fall. He ran for county attorney after Martino announced his retirement prior to the 2018 election.
“Your presence in Greene County wasn’t just by throwing a dart on the board, and I think it served the county well to have a plan in place,” board of supervisors chair John Muir said Monday. He asked Laehn to start “shaking trees and looking for good fence.”
Sheriff Jack Williams reported that Summit Carbon Solutions has asked for extra security when it holds a mandated public information meeting regarding the proposed CO2 pipeline Aug. 28 at 12 pm at Clover Hall. He was also asked for added security at a Channel Seed event in Grand Junction that evening. Summitt and Channel Seed will pay for the added manpower.
The board approved the purchase of a tractor/loader/blower for the courthouse grounds from K.C. Nielsen LTD John Deer Harcourt at a cost of $21,275. The board also approved promoting Tressa Hatfield to jailer administrator assistant and an accompanying salary increase of $2,000 annually.
