HERMANN — Gasconade County Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, Thursday morning announced his intent to seek another term as the top administrator of county government, two months ahead of the opening of filing for county and state offices.

He explained that there are several reasons he wants to serve another 4-year term, but one of them is as a way of providing continuity as Gasconade County government is about to see a substantial change in officeholders in 2027.

There will be at least four new officeholders in place after the November 2026 General Elections. Leaving office are veteran county government officials County Clerk Lesa Lietzow, County Collector Shawn Schlottach, County Treasurer Mike Feagan and, for the first time, county voters will be electing someone to the Recorder of Deeds Office. That new office was created earlier this year when the County Commission agreed to divide the post of Circuit Clerk and Recorder of Deeds duties into separate offices for more efficient delivery of service. The circuit clerk, while elected by county voters, is a state government employee; the recorder of deeds is a county government position.

Schulte told the Gasconade County Republican he hopes to be able to help the new incoming officeholders get settled into county government.

“I just want to kind of see the next officeholders through the new term,” he said.

The first-term presiding commissioner noted several projects that he has been involved in thus far, as well as upcoming projects — from expansion of the courthouse’s parking areas to the installation of an elevator and exterior improvements to the courthouse to improving the grounds of the historic structure.

Schulte also mentioned the work being done by an advisory committee created to recommend use of the county’s opioid lawsuit settlement funds.

“We’d like to see the opioid program moving forward,” he said.

The County Commission has final say over the allocation of the opioid funds but generally relies on the recommendation made by the Opioid Settlement Committee, headed by Gasconade County Health Department Administrator Kenna Fricke.

A member of the Gasconade County R-1 School District board prior to winning the presiding commissioner’s post in 2022, Schulte said he is concerned about the institutional knowledge of county government that will be lost when the veteran officeholders retire. With a background in the construction industry, Schulte said he wants to help make Gasconade County “just a nice place to live for everybody.”

He said he doesn’t want to look past a second term as the county’s top administrator.

“After that, who knows?” he said.

Filing for county and state government offices begins in late February and continues through March with the Primary Elections in August and the General Election in November. Those elected in the General Elections will begin their new terms on Jan. 1, 2027.