Washington County picks deputy as new EMA head

WASHINGTON — Washington County officials on Tuesday approved paperwork naming Deputy Nathan Schmuecker as the local government’s new emergency management coordinator, a role he’ll hold alongside his title as a deputy.

County supervisors approved a sharing agreement in July that allowed the assignment of duties previously handled by a full-time emergency management coordinator to a specially assigned county deputy in a 4-1 vote.

Critics, including Supervisor Jack Seward Jr. and some constituents in the community, have argued the change favors a less qualified candidate, after Schmuecker was up against another unnamed applicant as a finalist for the position who was not previously employed by the county. That applicant, according to Seward, had a college education in emergency management, which Deputy Schmuecker lacks.

But others, including a variety of area law enforcement officials, have endorsed the decision, saying a deputy tasked with emergency management duties would make for more streamlined disaster response efforts.

“You’ve got a deputy that is familiar with the county, familiar with responder services … and can help coordinate all those things in the event of a disaster,” said Washington Police Chief Jim Lester in a July interview. Lester, who is employed by the city of Washington and not the county, held a similar joint position in Wright County from 2008 to 2019.

“The connection is already there, it helps,” he continued. “Emergency management is a lot about working with the various organizations and personalities that are involved in EMS and fire, and I think the deputy that’s interested in this will work well in that role.”

In meetings last month, Washington County Sheriff Jared Schneider said he expected the deputy would focus on his emergency management duties “75-100% of the time” for at least the first year, but said things could eventually level out at a different ratio. He also anticipated the county would hire a new patrol deputy to cover Schmuecker’s previous workload.

“We can make sure those hours are getting utilized,” Schneider said. “Making sure the emergency management function is covered, but then also, if there’s time, to use that employee to do other things within the sheriff’s office that hopefully improve the efficiency of both.”

The deputy’s new position comes with a slight pay bump: $41.46 per hour to $42.18. Chief Deputy Shawn Ellingson said the change set Schmuecker at the standard rate for a department head.

With a 3-1 vote approving Schmuecker’s new job duties and pay change, Supervisor Seward still held out against the decision.

“I don’t think the combined deputy sheriff and emergency management coordinator is best for the county,” he said Tuesday morning. “I know that I’m outvoted, I understand that.”

Supervisor Bob Yoder was absent from the meeting, held the morning of Aug. 26.

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