Gloucester County supervisors elect leadership, adopt rules and make committee appointments

Kevin Smith was elected chair and Ashley Krisko was elected vice chair of the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors during the board’s organizational meeting on Jan. 7, 2025. The board also adopted its rules of procedure, code of ethics and 2025 meeting schedule, approved carryover and other routine budget adjustments, and confirmed a local emergency declaration.

The votes set the board’s leadership and standing practices for 2025. Board members conducted nominations and roll-call votes; the measures discussed were largely procedural and passed during the meeting.

The board opened the meeting with nominations for chair and vice chair. A roll-call vote confirmed Kevin Smith as chair and Ashley Krisko as vice chair. After the leadership votes, supervisors approved the meeting agenda as amended to add a resolution confirming a local emergency declared the prior weekend, and then approved the consent agenda and minutes from prior meetings.

County staff presented a resolution asking the board to adopt its rules of procedure, the code of ethics and standards of conduct for 2025. The board adopted the policies as presented; the packet included a single substantive edit, changing references from “citizen comment” to “public comment” throughout the documents. The code of ethics was read as part of the organizational requirement to review ethical principles annually.

The board approved the proposed 2025 meeting calendar and a proposed method for budgeting FY26 travel funds (to be split equally among members when the FY26 budget is adopted). Supervisors also approved a resolution on additional FY25 carryover appropriations and other audit-related adjustments described in the meeting materials.

Chair-elect Kevin Smith and Vice Chair Ashley Krisko both addressed the board after their selection. Krisko thanked members for the support and said he would “get to work with Mister Smith” for the coming year.

The board made multiple committee and commission appointments (including representatives to regional planning and transportation organizations, the Economic Development Authority, library trustees and other standing committees) and approved appointments recommended by the county administrator for school- and transportation-related committees.

The board confirmed a previously declared local emergency by resolution so that additional response authorities and resource options would be available during the winter storm period; the resolution was presented as a precautionary administrative step and was approved by the board.

In a separate appointment, the board chose Bruce Korr to serve on the Board of Social Services after a motion and second; supervisors said both finalists were qualified and the appointment was intended to give one candidate new service experience on the board.

Less-critical items — approval of routine meeting procedures, travel-budget budgeting method and committee assignments — completed the organizational agenda and set the board’s calendar and governance framework for 2025.

Votes at a glance: all organizational items described above were put to roll-call or unanimous voice votes and were approved during the Jan. 7 meeting.

(Ending) The board recessed other regular-business discussion items and scheduled follow-ups — including the audit- and budget-related updates presented later in the meeting — for future meetings.