In a unanimous vote Tuesday, Washington County Supervisors approved moving Attorney Anthony Janney from casual part-time to full-time county employee to serve as interim county attorney as they seek a permanent applicant to be appointed to replace John Gish who leaves January 29 for a position in the attorney general’s office.  

The annual salary for the position is $126,825 -- 80 percent of Gish’s -- and is effective as of January 16.   The board indicated it hopes to make the appointment within a few months.

Janney previously served as an interim county attorney when Gish, also a major in the Army Reserves, was deployed to the Middle East two years ago.  

The board met in a work session January 6 to review options to fill the vacancy, which included noting that voters may file for a special election, something that requires a minimum of 888 names on the petition.

Tuesday, it voted to proceed with the process to receive applications and to have the chairman appoint two members to review all applications, selecting three or four finalists.  

Whoever is named to the post will serve until the next general election in 2024.  Janney of Cedar Rapids is semi-retired and is on record as not seeking the elective office.

However, if a special election is held, it would be for the remainder of the four-year term to which Gish was elected in November 2022 and would run through December 31, 2026.

If voters wish to have a special election, they will have 14 days from the appointment date to submit a petition with at least 888 voter signatures.