Announcing his intentions to apply for the county assessor position, Pi- nedale Town Councilmember John Paravicini resigned from the council effective immedi- ately following the Jan. 14 meeting.

Assessor Jeness Saxton submitted her res- ignation to leave Feb. 29. Commissioners said they would declare a vacancy at the first meeting in March. That will set in motion a selection process by the Sublette County Re- publican Central Committee and county com- missioners.

“From the beginning of my time on this council, I have not performed any appraisal work that has affected valuation within the Pinedale town limits,” Paravicini said in his letter of resignation. “This was in an effort to avoid any perception of impropriety.”

However, if he is one of the three finalists presented to commissioners by the Republi- can Central Committee for the assessor’s va- cancy, he will be called on to do assessments throughout Sublette County.

“I am currently being trained by Ms. Sax- ton in the extensive and intricate duties of the assessor and will be absorbing as much knowledge as I possibly can over the next month and a half,” Paravicini wrote. “Given the rigorous timeline that lays ahead of me for the next several months, I must be able to begin the critical task of setting values for Pinedale and Sublette County as a whole.”

Paravicini has worked in the assessor’s office with Saxton for 16 years, eight as a co- worker and eight as an employee.

“She has been a shining example of what it means to be an elected official and a true public servant,” Paravicini wrote in his resig- nation. “I owe her a great deal of appreciation and gratitude in not just my professional oc- cupation but in my political career as well.”

John Paravicini

Once Saxton’s position is vacant, commis- sioners will notify the chairman of the Sub- lette County Republican Central Committee, Jim Robinson.

The chairman has 15 days to schedule a meeting of the Republican Central Commit- tee and select three names. Sublette County Commissioners have the final say as to which of those three names will become the next as- sessor.

Any candidate who is chosen will serve until the end of the year but must run in the next November 2020 general election and win to keep the seat.

“I would like to thank the residents of Pi- nedale who trusted me to serve on this coun- cil,” Paravicini said. “It has always been my goal to give my best efforts to improve our town and make it a place that we and future generations can be proud of.”

The Pinedale Town Council agreed not to declare a vacancy in Paravicini’s seat until the Jan. 27 meeting to give potential applicants more time to prepare. Once selected, that person may serve until the 2022 municipal election.