Tiana McElroy, 46, was selected on July 1 to be the new Bourbon County Attorney, replacing Jacqui Spradling, who resigned.
McElroy has practiced law since August 2004, primarily criminal law, she said.
“I started as the Assistant Bourbon County Attorney in January 2018 and left Bourbon County for Cherokee County at the beginning of this year, (to be its) assistant county attorney,” she said.
McElroy attended Washburn University from 2001 to 2004 earning a Bachelor of Arts in History then a Juris Doctorate.
Her hometown is Leavenworth.
She became an attorney to “make a difference,” she said. “I feel like I’m making a difference, no matter how small.”
Her goal in the new position?
“To make the office more transparent,” she said. “I want the public to trust in the office again.”
“I’ll be full-time,” McElroy said. “I don’t have expectations that it will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. I will be there as needed, but the position is classified as part-time.” She will be in her office five days a week.
She said the position is classified part-time, but she will go before the Bourbon County Commission and request they make the position full-time.
There is a backlog of cases to be tried, according to Bourbon County Counselor Justin Meeks. “Some of it because of COVID,” he said.
McElroy is the mother of two daughters, ages 13 and 16.
“I do not plan on moving to Fort Scott at this time so my children can finish school in Columbus,” she said. “I am certainly open to moving to Bourbon County once they have graduated from high school.”
The Process of Selecting A New County Attorney
A meeting was held July 1 of the Bourbon County Republicans to select a new county attorney. There were seven candidates who introduced themselves, Chairman Mark McCoy said.
In addition to McElroy, Meeks, Linus Thuston (the Neosho County Attorney), Jeffrey Williams (a private practice attorney), David Graham ( a practicing attorney), James Brun (recently Linn County Attorney) and Steven Ellis (the mayor of Spring Hill and a practicing attorney) applied for the position.
The party leaders asked questions of each candidate, he said.
The general public was allowed a brief time to speak for or against a candidate then left the meeting, The chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer, along with committee people of the party, remained to deliberate, McCoy said.
“The party, I believe, did a complete and thorough job and I am very, very comfortable with the outcome,” of McElroy being selected, he said.
McElroy will begin her duties as soon as the governor approves the selection, McCoy said.
“Today, I will send a certified, notarized letter to the governor’s office,” he said.
McElroy should be in her new position in a few weeks. The county attorney’s office is on the second floor of the Bourbon County Courthouse.
