Cape Girardeau County officials take oaths of office

The seven Cape Girardeau County officials elected in the Nov. 5 elections were sworn in during a ceremony Monday, Dec. 23, at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson.

District 2 Commissioner Charlie Herbst, Assessor Bob Adams and Sheriff Ruth Ann Dickerson were all reelected to new terms in office. District 1 Commissioner-elect Stephen Daume, Treasurer-elect Ronnie Maxwell, Public Administrator-elect Kyla Biester and Coroner-elect Craig Williams were elected to their roles for the first time.

Alhough Judge Michael Gardner of the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District swore them in Monday, they will not officially take office until Wednesday, Jan. 1.

Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy made opening remarks prior to the ceremony, welcoming the dozens of friends and family members gathered in Courtroom 101 for the occasion.

“We do this every two years. This is basically how our democracy works. We do a peaceful transition of power and this is how it starts,” he said.

Afterward, Pastor David Urzi, the county chaplain, made an invocation before the officeholders-elect were sworn in.

“I’m really thankful for the amount of help and support I had from many, many people across the county,” Commissioner-elect Daume said. “… It’s a pretty unique experience to be standing up there and taking the oath of office.”

He said he attended training for newly elected officials from the Missouri Association of Counties (MAC) to learn more about procedures and has attended Cape Girardeau County Commission meetings to become familiar with county issues.

Coroner-elect Williams also completed MAC training earlier in December. In addition, he had done Missouri Coroners' and Medical Examiners' Association training after being appointed deputy coroner by Dickerson earlier in the year.

"Naturally, it was great having my fiancee and my family there. It made me feel like I had made the right decision from the very beginning," Williams said. "... I'm honored to have the confidence of the citizens of Cape Girardeau County."

He said he would work in his official capacity with the citizens' best interests in mind.