O'Connor named interim deputy auditor

In the wake of Patty Williams' sudden resignation in December, county officials have been scrambling to ensure the responsibilities of the county auditor continue to be completed.

They took several steps towards doing exactly that during their regular meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Kristy O'Connor, the county's tax equalization director, has agreed to take on an additional "interim deputy auditor" position for the county, and a motion was carried unanimously by county commissioners to appoint her to the position.

The oath of office O'Connor must make says, in part, "I understand that I am appointed to cover in the absence of the Eddy County Auditor, and for any special appointments unless I withdraw from this position and/or if I receive a notice that this appointment has been revoked."

The move will allow O'Connor to fulfill some of the auditor's responsibilities in the short-term, such as making sure county employees get their paychecks. Helping her complete those responsibilities will be Williams.

Though Williams' time as the county's auditor officially came to an end on December 29, she had previously agreed to help the county beyond that date.

That agreement became official on Tuesday as the commission voted unanimously to hire Williams as an independent contractor, allowing her to fulfill some of the auditor's more complicated roles, and for her to train her eventual replacement.

"The Contractor shall provide guidance and support to Eddy County and its employees, to include but not limited to, an Interim/Deputy Auditor, with maintaining the responsibilities and duties of the office of County Auditor," the contract states.

"Contractor shall be solely responsible for determining how much time she wishes to dedicate to Eddy County and for which services. Eddy County shall contact Contractor to make requests for assistance to include meeting Auditor deadlines and preparing payroll, benefits, year-end financial statements."

Williams' contract with the county goes through June 2, 2024, but could be terminated early if necessary.

Meanwhile, the deadline set by county commissioners for applications for the interim auditor position passed on Friday, Jan. 5.

The commission will consider any applications for the position during a special meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 8 a.m. in the basement of the Eddy County Courthouse.

Commissioners also agreed to look for a "courthouse office deputy" in the near future – someone who could fill in whenever needed for various offices.

State's Attorney Ashley Lies said she would come back to the commission with options regarding such a position at their special meeting on Tuesday.

Following the discussions surrounding Williams and the auditor position, Lies and the commissioners also responded to a Letter to the Editor from Larry Danduran, which was published in the Dec. 25 edition of the Transcript.

It was agreed that Lies would put together a Letter to the Editor in order to "clarify" a few points that were made in Danduran's letter.

The Letter to the Editor written by Lies can be found on page 4.

The next regular county commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 6 at the Eddy County Courthouse.