MADISON COUNTY, Iowa — The Madison County Civic Alliance announced on Thursday that it has passed the necessary number of signatures required to request a special election to fill the auditor seat.

The former auditor, Teri Kaczinski, resigned after only four months on the job following controversy over her push to hire her former campaign manager, Leslie Beck, in multiple different positions serving the county.

Earlier this month the Board of Supervisors appointed a new auditor, Matthew Schwarz, but his appointment has recently sparked questions and confusion as it appears the public was not properly notified about his appointment and the citizens’ right to petition for a special election.

Shortly after Schwarz was sworn in, however, the Madison County Civic Alliance, a group of Madison County residents who formed the alliance in response to the upheaval in multiple county offices, challenged his appointment and began collecting signatures to petition for a special election for the auditor seat.

According to Iowa Code, residents had 14 days from Schwartz’s appointment to collect signatures, a total of 1,012, and file the petition. The alliance announced that it gathered over 1,450 signatures in ten days and filed the petition on Thursday afternoon.

“The citizens of Madison County have made it clear that they won’t tolerate corruption and incompetence in local government. Seeking to hold elected officials accountable is one of the core principles of being an American — it’s our civic duty to petition for the chance to elect better county leadership. We were encouraged to see how the community came together on this effort, and look forward to continued collaboration with our neighbors throughout the rest of the process,” the alliance said in a press release.

Now, the petition should head to the Board of Supervisors for approval, which the alliance says is a procedural measure that the board is legally obligated to do. While uncertainty remains regarding how the notice error may affect the petition, County Attorney Stephen Swanson told WHO 13 earlier this week that because the signatures were collected in good faith, he will recommend allowing a grace period to ensure they remain valid if Schwarz’ appointment date must be reset.

Iowa News: