Cherry County Clerk of the District Court set to resign

 VALENTINE, Neb. -- The Cherry County Clerk of the District Court is the latest county official to step down. Lorana Eggert’s resignation is expected to be formally accepted during Tuesday’s Cherry County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Eggert joins a growing list of county employees who have recently resigned or retired, including Cherry County Road Supervisor Doug Boyer, Cherry County Clerk Brittny Longcor, and Cherry County Assessor Jackie Moreland.

In addition to addressing Eggert’s resignation, commissioners are slated to discuss key issues during Tuesday’s meeting, including cost-of-living adjustments for county employees, the Zoning Administrator salary, and hiring for the Highway Superintendent position.

Earlier this year, Cherry County grappled with pay adjustments following a federal mandate under the Department of Labor’s revised Fair Labor Standards Act regulations. The changes, which were set to take effect Jan. 1, 2025, required employees to earn at least $58,656 annually or be classified as hourly non-exempt. Elected officials were exempt from the mandate, prompting the commissioners to raise salaries for five county positions to meet the requirements without reclassification.

However, in November, a U.S. District Court struck down the federal mandate, ruling that the revised regulations were not legally permissible. Despite this decision, Cherry County employees in the affected positions had already received their salary increases.