Des Moines County supervisors adopt 2025-26 budget, approve interagency tactical unit agreement and personnel actions; residents ask for two-year wind moratoria

The Des Moines County Board of Supervisors approved the county’s 2025-26 budget and several county actions Tuesday and heard multiple public requests for a two‑year moratorium on alternative‑energy projects, including wind turbines.

The board voted to close the public hearing on the budget and then adopted Resolution 2025‑22 approving the 2025‑26 budget. Supervisors Cheryl May (vice director), Tom Broker, Shane Campbell and Jim Carrey voted to approve the resolution.

The hearing drew detailed public commentary on the county’s fund balance and budget assumptions. Gregory Mangold, a resident, urged closer monitoring and cited a chart showing “a precipitous drop in the use of fund balance.” Mangold said the county’s unassigned fund balance on the chart fell from roughly $3.9 million to about $2.3 million and that the proposed budget projection showed about $970,000 remaining for the general basic unassigned fund balance.

County officials and supervisors responded that the graphic Mangold cited represented the unassigned general basic fund (line 39 on state forms) and that several one‑time items — including hospital payments and federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations — affect the year‑to‑year figures. Officials said the county received one large ARPA allocation (about $7.5 million) that has been allocated to specific projects and that those funds remain in county accounts until spent. County staff noted ARPA spending deadlines tied to federal guidance and said spending plans include the public health building and a computer‑aided dispatch project for the sheriff’s office.

Beyond the budget vote, the board approved several other agenda items:

- Reappointment to regional airport authority: The board approved the four‑year reappointment of Charles E. Walsh to represent Des Moines County on the Southeast Regional Airport Authority. Walsh told the board, “I enjoy it, and it’s a great asset that the community has.”

- Tactical Response Unit agreement: Supervisors approved a renewed interagency agreement establishing the Des Moines County Tactical Response Unit (TRU), a joint specialized law enforcement team described in the agreement as responsible for high‑risk operations such as executing search and arrest warrants for potentially armed suspects, hostage responses and barricaded‑suspect incidents.

- Personnel actions: The board approved a set of personnel items including (as recorded in the packet/transcript) a pay adjustment for a county attorney position (previously listed at $49,373 to a new rate of $51,378), promotion of Cassandra Kelly from $28 per hour to an annual salary of $75,000, and the hiring of Eric Kramer as a deputy (salary recorded at $52,102.02). Each personnel action was moved and seconded and approved by the board.

- Routine approvals: The board approved minutes from the April 21 meeting and accepted the annual South Seaside Regional Planning Commission report for the auditor’s file.

During public input, multiple residents urged the board to adopt a temporary moratorium on wind and other alternative‑energy projects to allow time for ordinance review and public input. John Newberry asked the board directly: “I’m asking the board of supervisors to put a 2 year moratorium on alternative energy projects to give the supervisors the opportunity to adequately review the county’s existing ordinances, research any proposed ordinance changes, and allow the citizens to present to the county our suggestions, concerns, and requests for the ordinance changes.”

Cindy Newberry, another resident speaking during public input, said the county should act quickly and argued a moratorium would not stop existing rights but would give supervisors time to consider changes: “We just really truly need a moratorium.”

Zach, a regional planning staff member, told speakers the planning office would provide examples and supporting materials to the board, including a wind/solar/energy storage ordinance that Lee County was considering; he said staff would “send that over as a starting point” for the supervisors to review. Members of the public referenced Des Moines County Ordinance No. 62 (adopted July 2023) as the current local regulation on alternative energy and were told the ordinance text is available on the county website.

No moratorium motion appeared on the agenda, and the board took no action on imposing one at Tuesday’s session.

The board’s actions Tuesday were approved by recorded voice votes during the meeting with all supervisors present voting in favor of the motions recorded in the transcript.

What happens next: county staff will file the recorded votes and resolutions with the auditor’s office; planning staff said they would circulate ordinance examples for the board’s consideration. Residents who requested a moratorium said they will submit a detailed 16‑point proposal to supervisors and asked the board to review those items before future decisions on alternative‑energy permits.