WATCH MEETING

It may be legal for the newly appointed Minnehaha county commissioner Jean Bender to serve as commissioner, but I was disappointed that the public didn’t have an opportunity to question her on how she will handle votes when it relates to her husband Michael’s business, Bender Realty.

While I think as an attorney, Bender will bring a lot to the commission, she has incredible credentials, but I worry that big development in this county has just squeezed their way into the commission.

And as I have stated before I found the process to be extremely non-transparent;

• The 29 applicants were kept secret besides the 5 finalists.

• In the above meeting they admitted that ‘commission staff’ chose the 5 finalists and not the commission.

• The commission interviewed the finalists in private and when they finally decided to appoint someone they called a special Friday meeting and didn’t allow the public to voice their opinion on the finalists or ask questions.

A gigantic thumbs down to the Minnehaha County Commission today for a very ‘secretive’ process in picking our new commissioner.

Either way, I wish Jean Bender luck.

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