Lincoln CountyWatch Follows Up: Which Elected Officials Are Willing To Take A Voluntary Drug Test?

TROY, Mo. — When the Lincoln County Commission expanded random drug testing across county departments last week, they inadvertently exposed a major legal gap: state law completely exempts top courthouse officials from the mandatory testing pool.

The update blankets all personnel who operate county-owned vehicles, including the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office under Sheriff Rick Harrell. However, because Missouri statutes provide no mechanism to force elected officials to participate, the county's top leaders are entirely left out of the requirement.

A group of local onlookers fills the benches on June 25, 2026, where County Auditor Brenda Schulte, County Treasurer Brenda O'Brien, and Recorder of Deeds Tracy Martin were in attendance alongside other local Lincoln County residents to watch the ongoing policy tracking debate.

We reached out to every elected official regarding the policy updates to ask directly where they stand and if they would participate in the drug testing pool voluntarily. In response, multiple Lincoln County elected officials went on the record to state they will participate despite their legal exemptions.

Lincoln County Sheriff Rick Harrell outlined his position on the matter:

Sheriff Rick Harrell in a previous interview photo; Harrell was not present at the June 25, 2026, county commission meeting, but provided comment for the article at a later time when asked about his stance on voluntary drug testing and for elected officials.

"I have always believed that public officials should be held to a high standard of conduct and professionalism," Sheriff Harrell stated. "While elected officials are not covered by the county’s employee drug testing policy, if I were randomly selected and asked to participate, I would of course comply. I do not use illegal drugs, and I would have no objection to demonstrating that. As a matter of fact, while I was working for the city of Troy I believe I was selected for the random drug testing at least twice. Passed with flying colors every single time."

County Collector Jessica Zumwalt posted onto our page regarding the testing standards for office staff:

"As an elected official myself. I should be leading by example," Collector Zumwalt stated. "If everyone working in our offices are subject to drug testing then we as elected officials should be held to the same standards. If the ladies in the Collectors office are made to take it. I should be made to as well."

County Coroner Dan Heavin also provided his position, stating, "I 100% think that the elected officials should be subject to the drug policy and I would pass with flying colors."

County Coroner Dan Heavin in a previous interview photo; Heavin was not present at the June 25, 2026, county commission meeting, but provided comment at a later time when asked about his stance on voluntary drug testing for elected officials.

Statements regarding voluntary compliance were also provided by other courthouse leaders:

• County Auditor Brenda Schulte: "If asked, I will participate in a drug test."

• County Treasurer Brenda O'Brien: "I would have absolutely no problem participating in a drug test."

• County Assessor Kevin Bishop: "Sure I would take one....I'm no more important than any other county employee."

• Recorder of Deeds Tracy K. Martin: "I would personally participate in the random drug testing if selected."

• Presiding Commissioner Joe Kaimann: "I would personally participate in the random drug test if chosen."

Commissioner Joe Kaimann and Commissioner Mike Mueller listen to public testimony and vote to approve the policy changes during the June 25, 2026, meeting; Commissioner Matt Bass was absent from the session.

The courthouse discussion on drug testing stands alongside ongoing reviews of the Commission's other recent policy actions, which touch on employee travel allowances and probationary timelines for annual salary increases. While Presiding Commissioner Joe Kaimann, District 1 Commissioner Mike Mueller, and District 2 Commissioner Matt Bass guide the county's leadership, Commissioners Kaimann and Mueller voted 2-0 to approve the administrative revisions, with Commissioner Bass noted absent from both sessions.

One point of discussion centers on revisions to the county's travel reimbursement rules, a change reportedly triggered by a June 2025 incident. Internal documentation notes that multiple county employees attending a training session where breakfast and lunch were provided purchased food at a local grocery store, utilizing their full $50 per day allotment. The grocery invoice was flagged as excessive when submitted through the county's billing system, though the spending was technically still within the guidelines of the policy active at that time. In response, the commission altered the flat-rate system, implementing a breakdown of $10 for breakfast, $20 for lunch, and $30 for dinner, dictating that an allowance cannot be used if a meal is already provided at an employee's training event.

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County Coroner Dan Heavin discussed the practicality of the newly enacted price caps based on current costs:

"The travel policy is not practical with the amounts set," Coroner Heavin noted. "With them only allowing $10 for breakfast including tax and tip, where can you find anything that cheap. Several of us suggested that they let the individual choose how they spend the money as long as you do not go over the allotted amount."

County Collector Jessica Zumwalt supported a return to the original guidelines to give out-of-town employees flexibility in managing their food allowances:

"As far as our meals for being out of town. I feel it should go back to how it was before at the set amount for the day not x amount of dollars per meal," Collector Zumwalt noted. "I agree that no alcoholic beverages should be purchased. If a department or employee chooses to go to the store and cook at the place they are staying for their trip as long as they do not go over the amount allotted it should be allowed. Just my two cents."

County Auditor Brenda Schulte raised concerns during the meeting regarding the communication of the rollout to department heads:

ounty Auditor Brenda Schulte addresses the commissioners, requesting that future policy revisions be distributed to elected officials and department heads further in advance to allow adequate time for them to schedule, attend, and discuss the matters.

"In August 2025, our County Commissioners changed the County Travel Policy reimbursement allotment for food expenses from a daily allotment of $50 per day to a breakdown of $10 breakfast, $20 lunch, and $30 dinner but each cannot be used if a meal is provided at the employees training session," Auditor Schulte detailed. "The County Auditor along with Elected Officials were not consulted with this food reimbursement policy change except for the County Commissioners and County Clerk. The policy appeared at a Commission meeting without being emailed out to our Elected Officials for their input. We were blindsided with the details of this policy change."

The discussion also involves an override clause included in the travel text, which allows the commissioners to grant exceptions on an as-needed basis. Schulte outlined her concerns with how this clause could be applied:

"Because the policy at that time allowed $50 per day, the bills had to be approved. Now that the Commissioners have changed our policy, this type of invoice should NOT be approved; however, the Commissioners added a clause to the policy on Tuesday June 23, 2026 that they can choose to override their own policy," Schulte stated. "A very strong and valid concern is this opens the door for discrimination."

Regarding the travel and meal policy changes, Recorder of Deeds Tracy K. Martin noted that an exception could apply to unique individual needs.

"The only change that was really made was for the commissioners to make exceptions on an 'as needed' basis," Recorder Martin noted. "This could apply to myself because of food allergies and not being able to eat the food provided at conferences or meetings. I have paid for meals before without being reimbursed and I have no problem with that."

In a conversation with us, Auditor Schulte directly challenged the Commission's practice of calling for floor discussions during public meetings on documents that have not been provided to department heads beforehand, asking how officials can be expected to discuss something they haven’t seen or been able to read in advance.

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Sheriff Harrell provided his view of the clause, stating it offers flexibility for county operations:

"Regarding the travel policy, my understanding is that the primary change allows the County Commission to consider exceptions to the policy on a case-by-case basis. I believe that provides flexibility for unique circumstances while still maintaining oversight by the Commission. Beyond that, I would defer to the Commission regarding the intent and administration of the policy."

The administrative overhaul also altered personnel rules for new hires, mandating that county employees must complete their full probationary period before becoming eligible for county-wide annual salary adjustments. Commissioners stated the revision addresses situations where newly hired employees became eligible for annual raises shortly after beginning employment.

During the meeting, Auditor Schulte requested that her formal comments and objections be entered into the official meeting minutes, asking that any future changes affecting county operations be distributed to elected officials in advance. Collector Jessica Zumwalt emphasized the importance of communication for all public positions:

"All of us elected officials are public servants and the residents of Lincoln County are our bosses," Collector Zumwalt concluded. "With that being said we should all be held accountable and be transparent and communicate not only with other elected officials but with the public as well."

We reached out to all remaining county officials for input regarding these widespread policy rollouts, but calls seeking comment from District 2 Commissioner Matt Bass, District 1 Commissioner Mike Mueller, County Clerk Ken Schulte, and Prosecuting Attorney Mike Wood were not returned prior to publication.

The full June 23, 2026 Lincoln County Commission meeting is currently available to stream via our YouTube channel. We are continuing to monitor this story as further responses are gathered.

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