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Last updated on Wednesday, March 5, 2014
(BLOOMFIELD) - The Greene County Republican Party leaders cast their ballots Thursday night and selected Dawn Jaeger Abrams to be county assessor.
The Greene County Daily World reports that Abrams succeeds the late Willard Neill, who died of a heart attack on Feb. 8. He was 78.
Abrams will serve out Neill's unexpired term, which ends Dec. 31. At the closed door party caucus, party precinct committeemen and vice committeemen cast ballots for Abrams and the other candidate, current Chief Deputy Renie Powell.
Powell also has been serving as interim assessor since she was sworn in on Feb. 10, two days after Neill died.
While no caucus vote totals were released from Party Chairman Pam Yoho, she did tell the caucus attendees that Abrams had received the 'majority' of the votes cast.
The two candidates shook hands after the vote outcome was announced.
Abrams and Powell work together in the assessor's office, and the new assessor told the gathering that she has not made a decision on who her Chief Deputy would be.
She told the Greene County Daily World that she didn't have a timetable in mind for when that decision would be made and she stated that she doesn't have anyone in mind to serve in that position.
Party Chair Yoho explained that the chief deputy serves at the will or the pleasure of the officeholder by state statute and the decision rests solely with the officeholder. Abrams will pick who will fill that position.
Abrams did tell the party leaders that she intends to be a candidate in the November General Election.
Abrams lives in rural Bloomfield, graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1996.
She is married to Homer Abrams, who serves as a Greene County Reserve Deputy Sheriff.
Abrams has worked in the assessor's office for the past three years under Neill and has passed her Level III Assessor's certification and is a member of the International Association of Assessing Officers.
The Abrams have four children that attend classes in the Bloomfield School District.
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