The Barry County Commission’s organizational meeting was held Wednesday, Jan. 2. The panel first elected a chair and vice chair, then unanimously approved its board rules, the chair’s committee appointments and the 2019 meeting schedule.

 

Clerk Pam Palmer presided over the meeting until the new chair was elected, handling nominations and the voting. The chair’s seat is by secret ballot, the vice chair is not.

Commissioner Heather Wing was selected chair and Commissioner Vivian Conner was given the vice chair’s seat.

 

For chair, Commissioner David Jackson nominated current chair Ben Geiger, Commissioner Dan Parker seconded it. Commissioner Jon Smelker nominated Wing, Conner seconded. The vote was 4-3 giving Wing the chairperson’s gavel for one year.

 

For vice chair, Geiger nominated current Vice Chair Jackson, Parker seconded.

Commissioner Howard “Hoot” Gibson nominated Conner, Smelker seconded. The vote was 5-2, with Parker, Smelker, Conner, Gibson and Jackson voting for Conner, Geiger and Wing voting for Jackson.

 

“This is going to be a very cordial transition,”Geiger said. “Anything I can do to help Heather succeed, I will do.

 

“I’m happy to hear that,” Wing said.  “I’m going to need a great deal of help from Ben. He’s privy to a lot of things that I’m not, so I’m going to need his expertise.”

 

Later, Geiger, the only commissioner to serve a two-year term, added: “Barry County Commissioners have worked tremendously well together over the past two years. That’s because we’ve focused less on scoring political points and more on getting results for taxpayers. Heather Wing was instrumental to that success. Now as chairperson, she’ll lead us into a bright future. I am 100 percent committed to helping her, our board and our county succeeds in the days ahead.” //

 

There were no amendments to the board’s rules and no comment before approval.

On committee assignments, Wing said: “I’m happy with the present assignments,” adding she was not opposed to some shuffling of coverage, if a commissioners wants to trade with another.

 

A motion by Conner to add a Dec. 23 meeting to the 2019 schedule of meetings to handle any late in the month items failed for lack of a second. December meetings will be on Dec. 10 and on Dec. 17 to avoid the Christmas Eve holiday.

 

 

Photos (upper left) Incoming chair of the Barry County Commission Heather Wing accepts the gavel from the outgoing chair, Commissioner Ben Geiger.

 

(upper right) Barry County Commissioner/Chair Heather Wing takes the chair’s seat for the first time Wednesday. She replaces Commissioner Ben Geiger, the only commissioner to serve a two-year term as chair.