Hubbard County commissioner Dan Stacey submitted his resignation on Jan. 30, with an effective date of Feb. 1.
The county board accepted it at their Tuesday, Feb. 7 meeting and authorized a special election to fill the seat.
Stacey, 58, of Akeley, is named as a suspect in a sheriff’s office report that involves alleged criminal sexual conduct.
He is also the transportation coordinator and a bus driver for Nevis Public Schools.
Stacey is currently on non-disciplinary paid administrative leave from the school district while school officials investigate a pending complaint, Superintendent Gregg Parks told the Fargo Forum in January, noting that was the only information he could legally provide.
There is no information indicating whether the school district’s investigation and the sheriff’s office report are related. Stacey has not been criminally charged.
Stacey was elected as a county commissioner in 2012. He filed for re-election in 2020 and, running unopposed, was elected to a four-year term, expiring Jan. 6, 2025.
Minutes of Hubbard County Board meetings and videos of meetings on the county’s website indicate the last regular meeting Stacey attended was on Nov. 1.
Minnesota law states that a county board may deem a vacancy exists and fill that vacancy by appointment if a board member is absent from or refuses to attend board meetings for a 90-day period.
The candidate filing period is Monday, Feb. 13 through Friday, Feb. 24.
Hubbard County Auditor-Treasurer Kay Rave said, following the two-day withdrawal period, the county will know whether the election dates are May 9 and Aug. 8 or simply May 9.
“The factor is the number of candidates,” she explained. “If there’s three or more candidates, then there will be two elections, with May 9 being the primary.”
Rave said candidate filings will be posted at the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.
Board chair Tom Krueger said, “Out of curiosity, I think I’d want to check every day.”
“That is big news,” agreed Rave.
Rave said there are nine townships – Akeley, Clay, Guthrie, Hart Lake, Hendrickson, Lakeport, Mantrap, Steamboat River and Thorpe – and two cities – Akeley and Laporte – in Hubbard County District 4.
“Six of those are already mail ballot precincts,” Rave said, and the remaining three were holding meetings this week about using mail ballots. This would “save the county some dollars and free up a lot of time in our office. Our office would administer it 100%. That is only for the special election in 2023, but I’m hopeful that will be passed.”
Every registered voter in those precincts will get a postcard, Rave added.
