WINTERSET, Iowa — Michele Brant has officially taken the oath of office as Madison County Auditor, following a decisive victory in last week’s special election.

Brant was sworn in Tuesday night during a Board of Supervisors Special Session. Her landslide victory of more than 70% of the vote was confirmed just moments before.

She now assumes leadership of an office that has faced recent turmoil and turnover. In an interview shortly before being sworn in, Brant shared her sense of responsibility and optimism for the road ahead with WHO 13’s Katie Kaplan.

Brant, who said she has been preparing since the unofficial results were issued on election day, added that temporary Auditor Matthew Schwarz had helped to make it a smooth transition.

“It’s starting to sink in that I’m going to be the Auditor in just a couple hours from now,” she said. “I have spent some time in the Auditor’s office shadowing and transitioning, and he’s done a really good job of preparing cover memos for all the projects he’s working on.”

She said she planned to return to the courthouse to officially take over as soon as the meeting was adjourned on Tuesday.

Top Priorities: Property Tax Delays and Fiscal Closure

Among Brant’s first major tasks is catching up on delayed property tax statements, which she estimates are currently two to three weeks behind schedule.

“We have to reenter some tax information on parcels. That would be number one. We have to finish closing out fiscal year ’24 and ’25 — that would be number two,” Brant explained. “Then I need to work with the Treasurer so that her piece gets done in as short amount of time as possible so we can get it off to mail services.”

Brant emphasized that people should not be worried if they haven’t received their tax statement by mid-September as she understands residents will still have 30 days to pay once they are issued.

“To assure everybody… normally you’re delinquent on October 1st, and that’s just not the case,” Brant clarified, stating she had verified the information through different sources.

Focus on Staffing and Transparency

In addition to addressing immediate fiscal and procedural concerns, Brant has a long-term vision for improving operations within the Auditor’s office that includes reducing staff turnover.

“That’s been one of the primary contributors to inefficiencies,” she said. “(We need) to get the right staff in place, evaluate the staff we have, and find out what their goals and desires are.”

She also hopes to restore public trust by prioritizing clear, consistent communication- and to steer away from online mudslinging that has plagued the county in recent months.

“We need to quiet the social media down,” Brant noted. “And I think the only way to do that is to deliver on that promise of transparency.”

To that end, she said she plans to release biweekly updates to the public during BOS meetings and to proactively communicate with department heads and elected officials.

“If something doesn’t get done, (I’ll) disclose that before people come looking for it,” she said.

Questions Over $23,500 Payroll Automation Plan

One of the evening’s agenda items was a resolution to fund automated payroll services — projected to cost around $23,500 over the next two years. The resolution had initially been tabled during a BOS meeting on Aug. 26. Brant had expressed reservations about moving forward with the plan at that time during the meeting’s public comment section. It was a sentiment she again echoed on Tuesday during the special session.

The estimated cost breakdown of the proposed automated payroll software.

“I just want to see it for myself,” she said of the process. “Payroll is the Auditor’s responsibility, and we don’t know where we are in terms of when our tax revenues are coming in.”

Brant also questioned how the county would fund the project. In recent months the BOS has taken drastic cost-cutting measures, like staff reductions (her own position as board clerk was reportedly dissolved in the Spring), and planned property sales, like what has been in the works for the public health building.

“If you haven’t closed out your budget for ’24/’25, how do you know where we’re sitting?” she stated. “Where did the cost of the special election come in? What about staffing? For full disclosure, I want to know that before I make any decisions.”

Board Chair Heather Stancil stated the software would streamline the process and eventually save time and money, with some of the cost offset by utilizing the pay of a part-time employee that would no longer be needed. The entire proposed contract with Solutions, can be viewed in the BOS meeting packet.

The board ultimately decided to table the issue indefinitely to allow Brant to look into the matter and decide if her office has a need for the software. Several members of the public who attended the meeting nodded in agreement as the supervisors voted.

A Message to Residents

Despite the challenges ahead, Brant said she is ready to lead.

“I’m just really excited. I’m just encouraged and enthusiastic about this whole process, and the next three and a half years,” she said.

For Madison County residents fatigued by recent controversies, Brant offered a simple message:

“Have faith and have hope.”