Candidates selected for commissioner vacancy

At a special meeting held on November 2, the Carbon County Republican Party Central Committee selected three candidates for the vacancy on the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) following the resignation of Commissioner Byron Barkhurst.

As was previously reported, Barkhurst’s resignation was accepted by the commissioners on October 17. At the same meeting, the BOCCC also declared a vacancy and provided a written letter to the chairman of the Carbon County Republican Party. The central committee ultimately had eight applicants for the vacancy. They included:

• Richard Raymer, a former Saratoga Town Council member and former member of the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board.
• John Moore, Saratoga Police Lieutenant and 2022 candidate for Carbon County Sheriff.
• Jerry Steele, member of the Memorial Hospital of Carbon County and 2020 candidate for Board of Carbon County Commissioners.
• James “Jimmy” Hinkle, plant operator at the HF Sinclair refinery.
• Joey Correnti IV, former chairman of the Carbon County Republican Party and 2020 candidate for House District 47.
• Garrette Irene, secretary and treasurer of the Elk Mountain Volunteer Fire Department.
• Emilee Berger, a Platte Valley rancher and member of Berger Beef.
• Ea'mon O’Toole, a Little Snake River Valley rancher.

Ultimately, the central committee put the majority of their support behind Correnti, who received more than three-quarters of the vote in round one. Round two didn’t produce any candidates. Round three saw Berger receive 64% of the vote and Round four saw Irene receive 52% of the vote.

Now that three candidates have been selected, they will be interviewed by the BOCCC on November 21 at 1 p.m. According to an email received from Carbon County Clerk Gwynn Bartlett, the commissioners are seeking additional information from the candidates regarding their qualifications for the position. That information includes a resume, references, work history and a letter of interest that includes an outline of any relevant public service.

It is anticipated the BOCCC will make the appointment the same day as the interviews with an official swearing in on December 5 at 8:30 a.m.

*A previous version of this article had Patrick O'Toole listed as a candidate. The candidate was Ea'mon O'Toole. The article has been updated to reflect this change. The Saratoga Sun apologizes for the error*