Mariposa County supervisors pick Smallcomb as chair, Toso as vice chair; multiple routine motions approved

Rosemarie Smalcom, a county supervisor, was elected chair of the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors for the 2025 calendar year, and Dannette Toso was chosen as vice chair, the board confirmed at its Jan. 7 organizational meeting.

The selections were part of a series of routine, procedural items the board handled at the start of its meeting. The board approved its consent agenda, adopted a previously read ordinance to amend the county zoning map, approved multiple committee and agency representative appointments, and accepted a series of departmental updates. Most formal actions were approved unanimously.

Why it matters: The chair and vice chair handle meeting agendas, serve as the board’s public faces for the year and often represent the board at regional meetings. Committee and agency representatives are the board’s official liaisons to local partners and regional bodies, and confirming those assignments sets the county’s representation for the year.

The board approved the consent agenda — described by staff as routine departmental and administrative items — in a single motion. The consent vote included reappointments of planning commissioners, approval of several interagency agreements and the school resource officer contract, and other routine items. When a member of the public asked about one airport hangar on the agenda, Public Works Director Shannon Hansen said the county lacks funds to purchase the older facility and prioritized road maintenance instead.

The board also completed its annual housekeeping on committees and external agency contacts. Among the assignments confirmed: Mariposa County representatives to the Chamber of Commerce (supervisors Keiser and Menatray), John C. Fremont Health Care District (supervisors Smalcom and Poe), and continued representation to the Yosemite-related organizations (Smalcom and Poe). The board noted several local committees that staff recommended removing from the list because they are inactive.

The board unanimously adopted the second reading of a zoning map amendment to reclassify multiple assessor parcels from Mountain Home or Mountain General zoning to Agricultural Exclusive zoning. Planning staff said the board had already completed the first reading and that, if adopted, the ordinance will be enacted after a 30-day period.

Voting at a glance: - Election of chair (Rosemarie Smalcom): motion moved (nomination by Supervisor Poe); outcome: approved, unanimous (5-0). - Election of vice chair (Dannette Toso): nomination by Supervisor Poe; outcome: approved, unanimous (5-0). - Adoption of zoning map ordinance (second reading): motion moved by Supervisor Manatray; second by Supervisor Poe; outcome: approved, 5-0. - Consent agenda (multiple items including CA2, CA7, CA9, CA11, CA12): motion moved by Supervisor Poe; second by Supervisor Toso; outcome: approved, 5-0. - Committee and agency representative assignments (multiple): motion to approve as presented; outcome: approved, 5-0. - Minutes approval for multiple prior meetings: motion moved by Supervisor Manatray; second by Supervisor Toso; outcome: approved 4-0 with one abstention (Supervisor Keiser abstained because she was not present for those meetings).

The board completed the organizational portion of its meeting and moved on to departmental presentations and public comment.

Ending note: The organizational votes set the board’s leadership and outside-representation for 2025. Several routine items approved by the consent agenda will be returned to the board in future meetings if staff or members request further action or more detailed discussion.