The Johnson County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 2 approved a slate of organizational items for 2025 including officer elections, meeting dates, official newspapers, liaison assignments and multiple administrative authorizations.

In brief: Supervisors elected John Green chair and selected Fitzmaurice as vice chair (motion carried 4–1 on the vice chair vote, with Greene Douglas voting no). The board approved the meeting days, times and county holidays listed in the agenda packet and designated a floating holiday for Christmas Eve (Dec. 24). The board also adopted a roster of supervisor and staff assignments to boards, commissions and liaisons.

The meeting included a sequence of routine authorizations and assurances approved by roll call: authority for the chair or vice chair to sign letters of support and certificates; authorization for the chair to execute contracts and other documents approved by the board; delegation to the chair or vice chair to authorize election recounts; authorization of grants staff and executive officials to sign grant applications; authorization for the county engineer to sign Iowa DOT and US DOT contract documents electronically; designation of signatories to Community Foundation of Johnson County accounts for two named funds; and authorization for the chair, vice chair or executive director to set flag protocols for county buildings and grounds.

The board also approved a construction evaluation resolution (master matrix) related to a confinement feeding operation structure and adopted the Iowa Department of Transportation and US Department of Transportation Title VI nondiscrimination assurances.

Votes at a glance: John Green elected chair (motion carried); Fitzmaurice elected vice chair (motion carried 4–1; Greene Douglas opposed). Motion to adopt meeting days/times and county holidays (carried). Motion to determine Cedar Rapids Gazette the winner of the contest for the third official newspaper (carried; see related article). Motion to designate News of Kelowna, Economist of Solon and Cedar Rapids Gazette as the 2025 official newspapers (carried). Motion to adopt assignments to boards/commissions (carried). Motion authorizing chair to sign letters/certificates (carried). Motion authorizing execution of board-approved contracts by chair (carried). Motion delegating recount authority to chair/vice chair (carried). Motion authorizing grants manager/specialist/chair/executive director to sign grant applications (carried). Motion authorizing county engineer to sign DOT contract documents electronically (carried). Motion authorizing signatories to Community Foundation accounts for the Livable Community for Successful Aging fund (carried). Motion authorizing signatories to Community Foundation account for Armory and Veterans Memorial fund (carried). Motion authorizing chair/vice chair to issue mandatory evacuations/curfews when governor proclaims state disaster emergency in unincorporated county (carried). Motion approving master matrix construction evaluation resolution (carried). Motion approving IDOT Title VI nondiscrimination agreement (carried). Motion approving USDOT Title VI nondiscrimination assurances (carried). Motion designating a list of pre-approved proclamations for 2025 (carried). Motion authorizing flag protocols for county buildings and grounds (carried).

The board used roll-call votes for many items; where a roll call was recorded, individual supervisors voted as indicated in the meeting record. Most routine items carried unanimously; the vice chair race recorded a 4–1 vote. No public comments were received at the start of the meeting.

Ending: The organizational approvals set the board's governance framework for 2025 and delegated routine administrative authorities to staff and officers for the year ahead.