OMAHA — The Douglas County Board appears poised to appoint a retired chief deputy of the County Treasurer’s Office to fill the top spot in the office left open earlier this month after John Ewing Jr. was elected mayor of Omaha.

During its weekly meeting Tuesday, the Douglas County Board discussed the legal process of filling the position, essentially the county’s banker who oversees the collection of taxes. Ewing had about 18 months left in his elected treasurer’s term when he submitted a resignation letter June 6 so he could begin mayoral duties.

County Board Chair Roger Garcia told the board he preferred a “non-political option” to fill the term: Tim Cavanaugh, who had served as chief deputy of the Treasurer’s Office. Cavanaugh retired in January 2021. Cavanaugh, also a retired Omaha Police captain, currently serves on the elected board of the Metropolitan Utilities District. (State law would allow him to serve in both positions simultaneously.)

The County Board did not vote on an appointment. Garcia said he preferred to discuss the potential appointment this week, followed by a formal vote July 8. No commissioner publicly objected to Cavanaugh.

Commissioners said they had received calls from interested parties, though no other contender was identified during the discussion. Board member P.J. Morgan said that Cavanaugh, who is not related to Board member Jim Cavanaugh, would be an “excellent choice.”

Jane Alexander more recently has served as Ewing’s chief deputy. She told the Nebraska Examiner earlier this month that she was not interested in pursuing the treasurer’s job permanently.

Garcia was among several who had approached Alexander about the opportunity, and he noted a couple of barriers, including the residency requirement, that led her to opt out. She lives in Sarpy County. He said that Alexander told him that she supported the appointment of Cavanaugh to fill the post until the next treasurer is elected in November 2026 and takes office the following January.

Garcia said his preference is to have a team that knows and could “take care of the office” and operations until the public could elect the next treasurer.

Garcia said that both Cavanaugh and Alexander have expressed that they would not run for election to the post.

Board members Tuesday also approved a motion to increase Alexander’s salary to reflect her leadership of the office until an interim is formally appointed.

Under law, the board has 45 days, or until around July 21, to fill Ewing’s position.

This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/douglas-county-board-hints-at-treasu...