Longtime Dawson County resident Rory Puckett was unanimously approved last Thursday as the county’s newest planning commissioner.
Puckett will replace three-term district two commissioner Bob Corey.
“Mr. Bob Corey, who has served three terms, deserves a tremendous amount of praise for his service,” said Terri Tragesser, the county’s district two representative on the board of commissioners.
Tragesser recommended Puckett to the planning commission late last month, saying the appointment was “way overdue.”
A local entrepreneur who owns three businesses in Dawson County and currently sits on the Dawson County Tax Assessors board, Puckett said he is ready to give back to the community he loves in a greater capacity.
“I have always put my civic duties before any club or organization that I’m associated with, and anybody that knows me has seen that first hand. Dawson County is heading for a whole new dynamic, and it will be interesting in being part of it,” Puckett said after his appointment.
Puckett has resigned his post with the tax assessor’s board to fulfill his new duties as a planning commissioner.
Tragesser said the recommendation to appoint Puckett to the position came after she asked for a detailed documentation of Dawson County’s second district.
“Before all we had was a map separated by streams and roads. The staff created a district map by streets and it was determined Mr. Corey did not live in district two,” she said. “That’s why I began to move forward with the new appointment.”
Two weeks ago when Tragesser first announced her appointment choice, District 4 Commissioner Julie Hughes Nix commented that she would like to see the incoming district two commissioner, James Swafford, who defeated Tragesser for the seat in July, be able to make an appointment to the planning commission.
Last Thursday, Hughes voted to approve Puckett to the position.
Tragesser said she believes Puckett will be a valuable asset to the planning commission. “And there’s a planning commission retreat coming up on Sept. 11, so it’s a perfect orientation for him,” she said.
Puckett said he would like to thank Tragesser for appointing him to the board.
“I know she had many people to choose from, and she chose me, and I’m flattered,” he said.
E-mail Michele Hester at michele@dawsonnews.com.