When former Guthrie County Assessor Rusty Pearson left his job last month to work in the private sector, he left two jobs vacant. Pearson was also the Zoning Administrator, in charge of reviewing applications and issuing permits for legal land usage.

Deputy Assessor Nikki Carrick told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday that although she’s qualified to perform the Assessor’s duties until a replacement is hired, she’s not experienced or knowledgeable enough to perform land-zoning duties.

The Board decided that not having a Zoning Administrator could hurt property expansion in the County and decided to contact both Region XII Council of Governments and Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) to see if there was a way to contract for zoning duties until the position is filled.

Applications are being accepted for the Assessor position until April 30th, though there’s no guarantee the individual hired will be qualified or want to perform the job of Zoning Administrator as well.