PARK RAPIDS, Minn. — A Hubbard County commissioner and school bus driver, who was named as a suspect in a sheriff's office report involving alleged criminal sexual conduct, has resigned from the Hubbard County Commission.
Dan Stacey, 58, of Akeley, submitted his resignation on Jan. 30, effective Feb. 1, and the county commission accepted the resignation on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
A one-page Hubbard County Sheriff's Office report The Forum obtained through a public records request late last year indicates authorities received a report at about 6 p.m. on Nov. 3 regarding suspected criminal sexual conduct.
The incident report names Stacey as a suspect, but offers scant information beyond that. The sheriff's office said any other information it has regarding the incident is not public. Any details of allegations and the age of any alleged victim were not released.
Stacey, a transportation coordinator and bus driver for Nevis Public Schools, is on non-disciplinary paid administrative leave from the school district while school officials investigate a complaint, Superintendent Gregg Parks told The Forum in January, noting that was the only information he could legally provide.
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Parks said Tuesday there had been no new developments regarding Stacey's status with the school district.
There is no information indicating whether the school district's investigation and the sheriff's office report are related. Stacey has not been criminally charged.
Multiple attempts to reach Stacey using phone numbers associated with him were not successful.
Sheriff Cory Aukes confirmed Tuesday that his office is not investigating the incident. Hubbard County Attorney Jonathan Frieden previously said such matters are typically handled by an outside agency to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), which oftentimes conducts investigations for other agencies, has said it had no public information to provide when asked if it was investigating the incident reported in Hubbard County. A message sent Tuesday requesting comment from the BCA had not been returned at the time this story was published.
Stacey was elected as a county commissioner in 2012 and last attended a regular commission meeting on Nov. 1. The position's annual salary is $26,533.
Stacey held the commission's District 4 seat, which serves the cities of Akeley and Laporte, and the townships of Guthrie, Hart Lake, Hendrickson, Lakeport, Mantrap, Steamboat River and Thorpe.
The Hubbard County Commission on Tuesday authorized a timeline for a special election to fill the vacancy left by Stacey's resignation.
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In authorizing a special election, the county commission on Tuesday established that the filing period for candidates will be from Monday, Feb. 13, through Friday, Feb. 24.
Hubbard County Auditor-Treasurer Kay Rave said if there are three or more candidates, two elections will be held, a May 9 primary and an Aug. 8 special election.
If there are fewer than three candidates, only one election will take place on May 9.
Rave said candidate filings will be posted at the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.
According to Nevis Public Schools, Stacey began working for the district in 2005 and has held a number of positions, including substitute bus driver, bus driver, substitute teacher and transportation coordinator.
Stacey is a retired law enforcement officer and a former scoutmaster for Nevis Boy Scout Troop 56, according to a profile of Stacey that has been removed from the county website.
In addition, Stacey served on the Eagle Scout Council for Hubbard County and the surrounding area, according to the profile.
Shannon Geisen, editor of the Park Rapids Enterprise, contributed to this report.
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