Carbon County Clerk/Auditor Seth Oveson has announced he will resign from office in August to accept a position in the Utah State Auditor’s Office Local Government Division, and will be be moving to Cedar City.
“It’ll be a good opportunity. It’s a good opportunity for me, for my family. We’re pretty excited about it,” he stated. Seth and his wife Melanie have six children, ages 5-13, and plan to be relocated by the start of the 2018-2019 school year.
In an interview with the Sun Advocate, Oveson said his new position will be similar to his job with Carbon County but he will be working with other counties, districts, and local governments around the state to help them make improvements, be in compliance, and understand the different statutes they have to follow.
“That was kind of what intrigued me the most,” he related. “I still get to work with local government entities– and there’s really good people to work with in local government– and will get to help make improvements across the state.”
Oveson affirmed the county is prepared for the 2018 election. He said, “After the Primary canvass, the ballots for the Nov. 6 General Election will basically be set and all voting machines will be ready to go.”
Oveson was appointed to the Clerk’s Office by the Democratic Party in 2013 when former Clerk/Auditor Robert Pero left to accept a position with the Utah State Tax Commission. Oveson was elected in his own right in 2014. Now that he plans to leave before the term expires, the party will again appoint a successor.
Carbon County Democratic Party Chairman Ed Chavez said once the party receives a formal letter of resignation from Oveson, it will take applications for the position. The Party Central Committee will meet to choose an interim Clerk/Auditor to fill the position until the general election.
Oveson said he hopes the County is able to find the best candidate possible to build on the efforts of past county clerks, including himself, Robert Pero, and Norm Pritchard.
That’s one of the reasons he made the announcement early.
“Obviously you would look for certain characteristics in a person. I think education is important, experience is important, and hopefully someone with that combination will come in and file.”
But currently there are no requirements for the clerk/auditor to have any educational requirements or licensure.
While a candidate for the county attorney’s office must be an attorney, a candidate for sheriff must be P.O.S.T. certified, and a candidate for the assessor’s office must be a certified appraiser, the only requirements for a Clerk/Auditor are that he or she must be registered to vote, and must have been a resident of the county for one year prior to taking office.
In reflecting on his time in office, Oveson said, “I think the most enjoyable thing about being in the office here is the people you work with and the fact that you’re building the community, you’re trying to make something lasting that will help.”
He said the Clerk’s office helps all of the different county departments run. “The Clerk’s office in my opinion is like the heart of the county.”
Oveson to resign in August
Carbon County Clerk/Auditor Seth Oveson sits inside his office recently. Oveson has accepted a job with the state and plans on resigning his position in August.