McGinnis to head new department

by Cat Urbigkit

At Tuesday's Sublette County Commission meeting, Mike McGinnis accepted the commission's offer of a re-assignment to head the new landfill department.

At a commission meeting last week, the commission announced its decision to have Dan Holgate succeed McGinnis as head of the county road department.

In an interview prior to Tuesday's meeting, Commission Chairman Bill Cramer said the commission decided to reassign McGinnis to head a new county department in charge of the landfill, trash transfer station and possibly recycling, balefill and/or incinerator.

"This is not a demotion," Cramer said, noting that McGinnis would be paid the same amount as with his road department position.

Cramer said landfill and refuse responsibilities have been in the road department, but the commission decided it was time to carve them out into their own division.

When asked what led the commission to that decision, Cramer said speaking for himself, he realized that McGinnis is a few years from retirement and that the road department continues to grow and grow, with more responsibilities, at the same time the county's refuse disposal responsibilities have grown as well.

Cramer said the commission feels Holgate is well qualified for the position and has the commission's confidence. He said the commission has plenty of road projects ahead and wants to get moving on them.

"The opportunity and the time was right to do something," Cramer said, adding that since it's budget time, it made sense to make the move now.

Commissioner Gordon Johnston noted that over the years, the commission has dumped more and more responsibilities on the road department and on McGinnis specifically.

Commissioner Betty Fear added, "It's just too much."