Schwartz retires after 10 years on Stutsman County Commission

David Schwartz said he had no regrets Tuesday when he left his last meeting as a Stutsman County commissioner.

"It was a huge weight off my shoulders," he said. "It was time, I was ready to be retired."

Schwartz was appointed to the commission in 2010 after the death of Doug Kaiser. Initially, he planned to serve only the two years remaining on Kaiser's term but ran and was elected to the commission in 2012 and 2016. He declined to seek reelection in the 2020 election.

His primary focus as a county commissioner has been on county roads.

"When I was appointed 10 years ago, all the interview questions were about the roads," Schwartz said. "That was the main situation at the time."

And Schwartz considers the improvements in Stutsman County's roads in the past decade his biggest accomplishment in office.

"We made many grade raises during the wet years," he said. "We've done well over 100 miles of new pavement over the past 10 years."

Schwartz said there was no single change made by the commission that improved Stutsman County roads.

"Changes had to be made," he said. "... it is not a perfect situation yet. There are a lot of roads that need attention yet."

His leadership in road issues wasn't lost on other members of the Stutsman County Commission.

"He spent a lot of time, effort and energy on the roads," said Commissioner Ramone Gumke. "He was instrumental in getting us back to where we should have been."

Mark Klose, chairman of the county commission, offered his appreciation for Schwartz's service at the end of the Tuesday commission meeting.

"Thanks for your long years of service," he said. "He's devoted a lot of time and energy to Stutsman County."

Schwartz said it has been nearly a full-time job over the past years.

"It seems like every day something came up," he said. "I've been doing county business almost every day. The toughest thing was dealing with personnel situations."

During his time in office, the county improved its computer technology and made personnel cuts in courthouse operations. Now, the commission is faced with hiring a new auditor and chief operating officer after the resignation of Nicole Meland who resigned in September.

"The commission is looking at that real hard," Schwartz said.

Schwartz, who had not held public office before being appointed to the commission, said the job included a lot of stress, especially over the last several years.

"I have a whole different understanding of holding public office now," he said. "It wasn't always a pleasurable experience."

Schwartz said he had no specific plans for retirement from public life. He had previously retired from farming.

"I guess I'll do whatever I want, whenever I want," he said.