Your County Tax Dollars at Work!

Two take leaves of absence from St. Louis County assessor's office

BY PAUL HAMPEL • phampel@post-dispatch.com > 314-727-6234 | Posted: Friday, May 18, 2012 2:29 pm

ST. LOUIS COUNTY • Two members of St. Louis County assessor Jake Zimmerman's staff are taking extended leaves of absence.

Deputy assessor Sara Howard is going on leave for unspecified personal reasons.

Chalana Oliver, the department's director of community engagement and policy review, will step away from her county job to work for the re-election campaign of U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.

Howard, who also serves as the department's spokesperson, said Oliver will remain with the McCaskill campaign through the November election.

Howard said she will take leave for several months beginning the week of May 28.

Howard and Oliver, who joined Zimmerman's staff last year after he won election to the post, have backgrounds in Democratic politics.

Howard had been a spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis.

Oliver, an attorney, had worked for Zimmerman in his campaign as the Democratic candidate for assessor.

From editor: If these two highly paid St. Louis County political appointees can just walk away from their jobs to work on a political campaigns or a long vacation, did we REALLY need them in the first place? Jake Zimmerman: More political corruption from St. Louis County government.