Holub tabbed to fill unexpired term on commission

Former commissioner Dan Holub was selected Thursday to fill the 4th District commissioner vacancy created by the death July 10 of Dave Crofoot.

Once formally named by the governor, he will serve until the end of the year after his selection by Republican precinct committeemen and committeewomen.

He also is a candidate in the Aug. 4 primary election for the Republican nomination to fill the district's regular four-year term, starting in January.

“Citizens will vote next month,” Holub told precinct committee members Thursday night. “We’ll hear whether they agreed with you or not.”

All four candidates in the Republican primary — Holub, Florence-area farmer Tom Britain, sheriff’s wife and businesswoman Amy Soyez, and county lake improvement district president Greg Wyatt — submitted requests for consideration with party officials to fill the seat until January.

At Thursday’s party convention at Marion City Library, each candidate spoke for five minutes to a crowd of about 25 — including 13 precinct committee members and 1 represented by a proxy. Two precinct committee positions in the district were vacant at the time of the vote.

The vote was 9 for Holub, 2 for Soyez, 2 for Wyatt, and 1 for Britain. Holub was elected on the convention’s first ballot.

At the time of his death, Crofoot was chairman of the commissioners. He was replaced in that role last week by commissioner Kent Becker.

Crofoot’s funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, within a celebration of life from 1 to 4 p.m., at Marion Community Center.

The four Republican primary contenders and Democratic candidate Randy Eitzen have been invited to a Marion County Record candidate forum from 1:15 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the community center.