Marshall staunchly defends the change, saying it has nothing to do with the upcoming election and that it has been in the works for more than a year.

"I can't believe people are making something out of this," he said. "All this is, is people getting stirred up. They're jealous, that's what it is."

As to intimations that Marshall is helping Anjewierden because they both attend the same LDS ward, "who the hell cares how it comes up? ... He's a good honest accountant, he's got a good background."

Anjewierden was a private comptroller and an accountant in a large accounting firm before coming to the county.

Thomas said he told Marshall there were several people in his, Thomas', office who would be interested in applying for the position, but "he suggested to me that Marcus was (already) slated for this position because of his work and qualifications."

Thomas also said he contacted Felix McGowen, head of human resources, to downgrade the salary classification to something he believed was more appropriate to the position, but McGowen declined.

Neither McGowen nor Anjewierden could be contacted for comment.

Dayton said he plans to "go to the council and open it up for discussion. . . . I don't have any desire to create a bunch of lifeboats for political appointees. That's the nature of it: You're out a job when the public officials change. That's just the nature of the beast, and that's perfectly fine."

---

E-mail: aedwards@desnews.com