I attended the September 22, 2026, Camden County fisticuffs session at 10:00 a.m. and a Commission meeting broke out.
All commissioners were present.
The first agenda item was “Old Linn Creek Memorial Proclamation.”
There are 14 veterans and several Civil War veterans buried in the Linn Creek Cemetery. The notables buried there include a congressman and a bank president. It was proposed that the Commission would declare 26 September as Old Linn Creek Memorial Cemetery Flag Day.
This was approved unanimously by the Commission.
The second agenda item was “Health Insurance Brokerage/Renewal Discussion.”
This item was a proposal to continue to employ McGrath insurance as the health insurance brokers for Camden County. The county’s current broker from McGrath observed that the county’s self-funded healthcare costs have been trending downward with the recent pharmacy change to Express Scripts and effective management of the ACP (the county’s plan that dumps its most medically expensive members onto Obamacare.)
The Commission voted 2-0 to retain McGrath as the county’s healthcare broker with Commissioner Gohagan abstaining.
The final agenda item was “”Security Ordinance Review/Discussion.”
Presiding Commission Skelton read aloud the county’s proposed security plan for the old courthouse. The plan proposed that the magnetometer would be removed. Visitors to the courthouse would no longer be screened. The front doors of the courthouse would be re-opened for public access. Security would be provided by a roving deputy. Cameras would be installed in all common areas of the building. Members of the public and county employees would be permitted to carry firearms in accordance with state laws. Even with these changes, in accordance with Missouri statute, only commissioners would be allowed to carry a firearm while attending a Commission meeting.
Presiding Commissioner Skelton made a motion to approve the plan, but Commissioner Dougan wanted more time to discuss it. Skelton then withdrew his motion so the Commission could discuss the plan.
Commissioner Dougan pointed out that both Laclede and Miller counties have metal detectors in their courthouses. A member of the audience explained that this was because Miller County has its criminal courtrooms in its administrative building.
Mike McDuffey (the Democrat candidate for Presiding Commissioner) complained that Skelton shouldn’t be voting on this issue because he was a “deadhead.” (I believe he meant “lame duck.” Deadhead would have an entirely different meaning, but it would be interesting if it was true.)
McDuffey said that any person who had no formal firearms training and had not received law enforcement-level training should not be able to bring a firearm into the building. McDuffey asked the Sheriff what he thought of the proposed security plan?
Sheriff Edgar stated that Missouri statute did not restrict people from carrying firearms into the courthouse. He would abide by state statutes and the decision of the Commission.
Presiding Commissioner Skelton asked McDuffey if he understood what the Missouri Constitution allowed as far as firearms were concerned?
McDuffey admitted that he did not know the answer to Skelton’s question, but he explained that the constituents he has been talking to don’t want firearms in the county administration building. McDuffey didn’t even believe that elected officials should be allowed to carry firearms. (I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that he meant: while in the building.)
McDuffey asked the assembled people at the meeting: Who in the meeting had a gun? Several commissioners and Recorder of Deeds Donnie Snelling raised their hands.
Once that survey was completed, Commissioner Gohagan observed that the front doors of the courthouse have been closed ever since he has been a commissioner.
Having seen Snelling raise his hand demonstratively in front of me, I clarified that the new security plan would allow people to bring firearms into the administration building, but not into a Commission meeting (unless they were a commissioner.) If someone were found to be carrying a firearm in a Commission meeting, they would be guilty of a crime unless they had a CCW? Possession of a CCW would mean that they would be escorted out of the meeting. Presiding Commissioner Skelton confirmed that would be the case.
Presiding Commissioner Skelton decided there had been plenty of discussion and made a motion to adopt the new security plan. Commissioner Dougan seconded his motion and it passed unanimously.
In New Business, Recorder of Deeds Donnie Snelling wanted to address the Commission regarding a Facebook article that was posted about him. He was speaking softly as he approached the microphone table. In a whispery voice that Joe Biden would have admired, he murmured that the post was by Nathan Rinne and it mentioned dust control on Snelling’s road. I was straining my poor range-damaged ears to pick up what he was saying. As Snelling was talking, Commissioner Gohagan responded that he wanted to talk about a Facebook post Donnie Snelling had made. Snelling left the microphone table and approached the Commission bench.
Snelling grabbed Gohagan’s phone out of his hands while they were talking and the confrontation began to escalate as Gohagan got hold of Snelling’s phone. Snelling balled his fists as if he was challenging Gohagan to a fight and Gohagan accepted the challenge. Fortunately, the numerous Sheriff’s deputies in the room intervened before anyone could take a swing, negotiated a mutual hostage phone exchange between both parties, and Snelling was escorted out of the Commission meeting room.
And that was that.
It’s good that the deputies were able to keep a lid on things. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to the realization that you reach a certain age where even if you win a fight, it sure feels like you lost the next morning.
And it also seems like at least one elected official self-reported that he was illegally carrying a firearm during the Commission meeting. It seems like that’s okay? As long as he has a CCW permit?
Probably the most Hooterville meeting yet. And we all made it out okay. Not richer, but wiser.
