Eight candidates remain for vacancy on Douglas County Board

The field to replace Mike Boyle on the Douglas County Board was whittled to eight on Wednesday.

STORE.DUE TO THE DEATH OFLONGTIME OMAHA POLITICIAN MIKEBOYLE, THERE IS A VACANCY ON THEDOUGLAS COUNTY BOARD.THREE ELECTED OFFICIALS,COUNTY CLERK DAN EH,SC COUNTYATTORNEY DON KLEINE AND COUNTYTREASURER JOHN EWING WILL PICKTHE REPLACEMENT.3 NEWS NOW REPORTER JONKIPPER TELLS US TODAY THATSELECTION COMMITTEE WHITTLED THEFIELD DOWN... FROM 14 CANDIDATTO EIG.HT"I GUESS YOU GET TO SEUSE MAKEDECISIONS LIVE HERE."COUNTY CLERK DAN ESCH WASN’TKIDDINAS THE COMMITTEE TO SELECT THEREPLACEMENT OF MIKE BOYLE ON THEDOUGLAS COUNTY BOARD MET ONWEDNESDAY, MAKING CRUCIALDECISIONS ON WHO WILL REPRESENTSOUTH OMAHA AND PARTS OFDOWNTOWN, SOME 84 THOUSANDPEOPLE."EVERYTHING WILL BE DONE INPUBLIC, SO EVERYONE CAN SEE THEPROCESS WORKS."JOHN EWING, DOUGLAS COUNTREASURERTHE MAIN DECISION THEY MADEWEDNESDAY NIGHT WAS TAKING THEFIELD OF CANDIDATES FROM 14 TOEIGHT.SOME OF THE REMAINING CANDIDATESINUDCLE FORMER STATE SENATORSSARA HOWARD AND PATRICKVENDITTE.

OPS BOARD MEMBERKIMARA SNIPE, LONGTIME OHAPOLICE OFFICER DANIEL MARTIN,AND ROGER GARCIA, WHO FINISHEDTHREE VOTES BEHIND BOYLE FOR THEJOB LAST YEAR.ESCH SAID HE’S SEEKING SOMEONEWHO HAS A HISTORY OF SERVICE INTHE COMMUNITY, AND IS FOCUSINGON RELEVANT ISSUES TO THECOUNTY.HE SAYS CUTTING THE FIELD DOWNWASN’T EASY."I MEAN I HAVE MET AND KNOW TOSO DMEEGREE , ALMOST EVERYPERSON THAT APPLIED."I’M NOT COMPLAINING.

I KNEWWHEN I BECAME THE COUNTY CLERKTHAT THIS WAS A POSSIBILITY."WHILE STATE LAW REQUIRES TTHREE ELECTED OFFICIALS CHOOSETHE CANDIDATE, COUNTY ATTORNEYDON KLEINE DOESN’T LIKEHE TPROCESS.HE SAYS HE’LL WORK WITH THELEGISLATURE TO TRY AND CHANGENEBRASKA LAW, TO REQRE AUISPECIAL ELECTION ITE.NS"MY THOUGHTS ARE THAT THE PEOPLEOF DISTRICT ONE SHOULD MAKE THEDECISION ON WHO THEIRREPRESENTATIVE IS."JON LL TAG"THE CANDIDATES ARE SET TOE BINTERVIEWED A WEEK FROM FRAYIDAND THE COMMITTEE COULD PICK ANEW COMMISSIONER ON THAT VERYDATE, OR THEY COULD WAIT A WEEK,BUT THEY ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO PICKA NEW COMMISSIONER BY OCTOBE28."THTHAT MEETING ON OCTOBER22ND WHEN THE CANDIDATES WILL BEINTERVIEWED IS A PUBLIC MEETING.*IT STARTS AT 9 A-M IN THELEGISLATIV