County won’t share attorney services

COUNTY – After some investigation and discussions, Shelby County has opted out of the possibility of sharing county attorney services with Audubon County.
    It was last month that county officials announced that they were exploring the option of sharing services with neighboring Audubon County, which had reached out to local officials here to discuss the possibility.
    Board of supervisors chairman Steve Kenkel said one of the supervisors in Audubon County contacted Shelby County Auditor Mark Maxwell to see if Shelby County would be interested in considering or looking at the possibility of sharing attorney services.
    Audubon County has been sharing services with Cass County, which has decided recently that it needed a full-time county attorney rather than part time, Kenkel explained.  The current part-time county attorney servicing both Cass and Audubon Counties wasn’t interested in the full-time role in Cass County, and is apparently resigning effective January 1.
    Kenkel said Audubon County had reached out to neighboring counties, Shelby, Guthrie, Carroll and Adair, with the possibility of sharing.  Shelby County currently employs part-time county attorney Marcus Gross, Jr., assisted by Todd Argotsinger.
    Gross informed the board that after consideration and discussion with Shelby County officials, it was determined that sharing services would not be in the best interest of Shelby County.