STANTON - Mercer County Auditor Shelly Sailer resigned her position as of July 31, but the County Commission hopes to change her mind.

Sailer, who's near midway through her second four-year term, sent notice of her resignation to the three commissioners late last week.

She didn't offer an explanation in her official resignation and didn't return calls seeking comment for this story.

Commission chairman Gary Murray, of Beulah, said Sailer agreed Wednesday to consider a reappointment to her post until the next general election in November 2004.

Murray said that would save the commission having to find someone to fill the job on a temporary basis.

Now and the next two months is when the county's annual budget is prepared and approved, a major task of the county auditor's department.

Murray said Sailer's conflict has to do with getting caught up in a dispute that involved her deputy auditor, Sandy Bohrer, and some Stanton residents.

The residents alleged that Bohrer used her deputy auditor position improperly and acted with hostility toward them over an annexation issue.

Bohrer helped organize a petition to annex some Stanton land to Hazen at the same time the Stanton school is reorganizing with Center.

The commission investigated the allegations and concluded they were without merit.

"She (Sailer) was fine until that came along," Murray said.

Commissioner Lyle Latimer said he, too, doesn't know exactly why Sailer would resign her elected position, except that the Stanton annexation issue has been tough on her.

If there's more, he said, "then she should bring it out."

Murray said he agreed to give Sailer a few days to think over the county's request.