CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. — Camden County has a new Auditor and a new Collector, thanks to appointments by Governor Eric Greitens.
Jimmy Laughlin has been appointed to the Auditor position, and Teresa Murray was the governor’s pick for Collector. The appointments will last until the next election for each position. The positions were vacated when Collector Vicky Burns and Auditor Ronnie Capps recently retired.
Camden County Presiding Commissioner Greg Hasty confirmed the governor’s office called him on Thursday evening to confirm the appointments
“Jimmy is highly qualified for the job,” Hasty said, noting Laughlin “has a long-term history in this community of doing all kinds of service.”
He pointed out Murray—who was the Deputy Collector until the appointment and has served more than 20 years in that office—was the popular choice among employees in the Collector’s office, saying she has already been a crucial part of its daily functioning.
Camden Republican Central Committee Chairman Brent Salsman and former Camden Commissioner Kris Franken had also applied for the Auditor position. Salsman was the only other applicant for the Collector position.
Hasty said he had been pretty sure Murray and Laughlin were the governor’s picks, but that was before the Central Committee met to weigh in. The committee met on Monday, June 5 and, according to a sunshine-requested document from the governor’s office, voted to recommend Kris Franken and Jimmy Laughlin for the Auditor position and Brent Salseman and Teresa Murray for the Collector position. Those recommendations were relayed to the governor’s office.
The committee’s vote can be a factor in the governor’s decision-making process, but the governor’s office does its own research into each candidate and ultimately makes the final choice.
