LIBERTY – After six decades of effort, Clay Countians gained a new form of government by a number that overwhelmed even Constitution Commission Co-Chairman Greg Canuteson.

“It’s a blowout,” Canuteson said Tuesday. “It’s such a blowout, I’m worried that it’s not real.”

The issue passed with an 81.34% majority, 99,892 to 22,911.

“It’s a shocking return,” Canuteson, a Democrat, said. “Voters wanted the circus to leave town.”

Having been an early constitution advocate, community activist Jason Withington’s support for the document weakened because of what he considered a flaw: the document called for four additional county commissioners but turned several elected county offices into appointed jobs – public administrator, treasurer, clerk, recorder and collector.

“It’s not like I was against the constitution. I was just against getting rid of the elected officials,” he said.

Constitution supporters viewed the deleted officeholders as functionaries rather than policymakers, which is what the commi…