Michelle Worth was sworn in as the Jefferson County Collector on Sept. 9 in a brief ceremony at the Jefferson County Administration Center.
Beth Mahn, who held the office for the past 34 years and officially resigned the same day, was on hand to watch the ceremony.
Mahn, 65, of Hillsboro was diagnosed earlier this year with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. The condition also is known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the Hall of Fame professional baseball player.
“I began in the Treasurer’s Office with (previous elected Treasurer) Ernie Gilbert in 1982. It has been an honor to have served Jefferson County for the past 38 years,” Mahn said.
Earlier this year, Mahn had said she would continue to lead the Collector’s Office as long as she could still work.
Worth, 57, was the deputy collector under Mahn since 2011 and has worked in the office since January 2000.
She said Mahn continued to be an effective leader until her resignation.
“She was advised to not come into the office during COVID because of her compromised immune system, but she did everything she needed from home, and did a great job communicating by email and text,” Worth said. “She came in when she needed to sign something. She was involved until her retirement and was very approachable.”
One thing Mahn did during the last few months was make sure Worth was ready to take over the duties.
“I’ve been working next to her for quite some time as the deputy collector,” Worth said. “There wasn’t anything she did that she didn’t share with me. She did a good job of making sure I was ready in case she felt the need to step down, and I’m ready.”
County Executive Dennis Gannon signed an executive order appointing Worth to the position until the office comes up for election in 2022.
Under the county charter, the county executive is obligated to fill a vacant elected office with a member of that officeholder’s party. Mahn, who was in the midst of her ninth four-year term, is a Democrat.
“Michelle has been here for 20 years,” Gannon said. “There are several reasons why she was the best selection. Her job knowledge is second to none. She’s fully prepared to be the collector. I believe she will continue to provide the same great service the office has always provided.”
Worth said her goal will be to do just that.
“I want to keep things in the office the way (Mahn) ran it,” Worth said. “She was a great leader for many reasons, including that she worked hard. She was here every day and knew what was involved in everyone’s job. She had great respect, because she gave other people great respect. She always was very approachable. I learned so much from her because she led by example. She wasn’t just an elected official. She worked in her office. That’s the kind of leader I want to be.”
Worth will lead a staff of 11 people. She said she will name a deputy collector from within the ranks.
A 1980 graduate of Crystal City High School, Worth went to work at the old Crystal City Bank. “I started in bookkeeping and moved up to teller,” she said.
Three years later, she started a 17-year career at the old Waggoner Lumber Co.
When that business closed, she said, she was tipped off about a vacancy in the Collector’s Office.
“I had a friend who was a seasonal employee who worked there during tax season, and she told me they might have an assistant bookkeeping position available. I applied, and I got it.
“You can say I started at the bottom and worked my way up, but I think that will only help me because I had to learn all the different aspects of the office. When I started, I didn’t understand taxes as well, but I learned on the job.”
Mahn named Worth deputy collector in 2011.
“In addition to my regular duties, the deputy collector’s job is to fill in when the collector is not in the office. If Beth wasn’t there for any reason, I handled whatever came up, questions from the staff or complaints from the public.”
Worth said she hasn’t had time to consider whether she will run for the office two years from now.
“I’m not a politician and never thought I’d run for an office. Right now, my focus is on the upcoming tax season and getting settled into the job,” she said. “I’ll see how it goes, but right now, I’m not sure I want to commit to anything.”
Gannon said Mahn will definitely be missed. “Beth has been a steady hand in Jefferson County for 34 years,” he said. “She is a wonderful person to work with, always pleasant and a blessing to deal with. We all wish her well.”
County Clerk Ken Waller, who previously was the county treasurer and county executive, worked with Mahn for many of those years.
“She never worried about whether someone was a Democrat or a Republican; all she did was get the job done,” he said. “She’s a beautiful woman.”
Worth and her husband, Terry, live south of Festus. She has three children and two grandchildren.