JACKSON HOLE, WYO –The Teton County Board of Commissioners appointed Melissa Shinkle as the new county assessor today, completing the formal replacement process of Andy Cavallaro, who officially stepped down last month after announcing in early June he was taking the executive director role with the Community Safety Network.
In accordance with state statute concerning a partisan position, Teton County Democrats put forth three viable candidates for Cavallaro’s replacement recently—within the stipulated 15-day window. They included Melissa Shinkle, Jessica Sell Chambers, and Joel Goldberg. Cavallaro was elected as a Democrat
The Board of Commissioners was presented with the list of three candidates on August 10. After interviewing them, the board chose Shinkle at today’s meeting.
Shinkle began her career at Teton County in 1997, working in the county clerk’s office. She has progressed through many positions over the years, including supervisor and chief deputy county clerk. She has worked alongside and in partnership with many departments and elected offices.
“The county assessor is an extremely important office in our organization and community. Melissa has extensive knowledge and experience holding responsible positions in local government and has a reputation for conducting herself in a fair and equitable manner,” said Teton County commission chair Mark Newcomb. “She’s leaving big shoes to fill in the clerk’s department.”
Upon learning the news, Shinkle said, “I am excited and honored to be appointed as the county assessor. I will truly miss working for Clerk [Sherry] Daigle and being a part of her staff, but I know that this is an amazing opportunity. I am eager to begin working with my new team in the assessor’s office, and I look forward to serving the residents of Teton County in this new capacity.”
Shinkle’s nomination by party leaders last week was not without some controversy. A few within the party expressed concern during the nomination process that Shinkle was not truly a Democrat and may have only registered as such to have a shot at a job that pays $100,000 a year. Others, however, didn’t feel the position should be a partisan one, anyway, and were not as concerned.
Shinkle will finish out Cavallaro’s term, set to expire at the end of 2018. She said she does plan to run for the office after that.
