By Joshua Grove
Beacon Correspondent
Former Alger County Sheriff Robert Hughes has been appointed to the Alger County Board of Commissioners to represent District 1, filling the vacancy left by Enrico “Rick” Capogrossa, who resigned last month.
The board approved Hughes’ appointment, and he was sworn in during its meeting on Oct. 13. He will serve the remaining 14 months of Capogrossa’s term, through the end of 2026.
The board asked for letters of interest following Capogrossa’s resignation on Sept. 2. Hughes was the only person to submit a letter.
Hughes, a Grand Marais resident and career law enforcement officer, served more than 38 years at the Alger County Sheriff’s Office, including multiple terms as sheriff before retiring at the end of 2016. He currently serves as the assistant chief of the all-volunteer Burt Township Ambulance Corps.
“I was actually out West in Montana, and I saw that Rick wrote a letter and posted it publicly on Facebook — pulling back from the board because of his other commitments and the loss of Mary,” Hughes said. “And I saw that he was openly seeking someone to take his place, and he actually threw out another person’s name here in Grand Marais, who I know. He thought that person was going to write a letter, and I was all in favor of that. But then, when I saw that nobody was, I thought, well, we can’t let it go unfilled. So I decided to just put in my letter.”
Hughes said he doesn’t have political ambitions at this stage of his life, but wanted to help the community he has lived in for 20 years: “I just want to help Rick out and finish his term out.”
In a resignation letter dated Sept. 2, Capogrossa wrote that he could no longer balance his business responsibilities with the demands of serving on the board.
“I sincerely thought that I could coordinate around my real estate business and operating the Superior Hotel, solely, that I could squeeze in my duties as a county commissioner,” he wrote. “Here it is 3 a.m., and I cannot sleep knowing I cannot put the time and effort in for the people I’m representing and the people who voted for me. For the betterment of the board, I feel I must resign my position so a person who can dedicate 100% of the necessary time to be prepared for and attend all committee and board meetings” can serve.
County Commissioner Mike Nettleton of District 3 expressed confidence in both Capogrossa and Hughes in the midst of the transition.
“It’s been a pleasure working with Rick,” Nettleton said. “He tried really hard to represent the folks from the Grand Marais area and balance that with the needs of the county as a whole.”
Nettleton said he thinks Hughes will do well to represent his district.
“I always tell people, we might be elected or appointed to represent a certain district, but there’s less than 9,000 people in the whole county,” Nettleton said. “We have to look out for everybody. So, I do like the fact we have people from different parts of the county, just to bring those other perspectives. And I think Bob’s gonna do a nice job.”