Plumas County supervisors elect Kevin Goss chair and Mimi Hall vice chair after procedural debate

The Plumas County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Jan. 7 to elect Supervisor Kevin Goss as chair and Supervisor Mimi Hall as vice chair for 2025, following debate about nomination procedure and whether nominees should recuse when voting for themselves.

Supervisor Jeff Engel nominated Kevin Goss as chair and Mimi Hall as vice chair, saying he hoped Goss would help guide the continuing rebuilding of Greenville; the motion was seconded. Supervisor Tom McGowan and others objected to what they described as a pre‑decided slate and suggested the process should rotate among districts and be handled individually rather than as a paired motion. County counsel offered to research any Brown Act or conflict‑of‑interest concerns, and the board discussed temporarily recessing for legal review.

Supervisor Kevin Goss told colleagues there had been no Brown Act violation and said his conversation with Engel was a normal, allowable consultation. After discussion about the agenda format and whether the chair and vice chair should be voted on separately, the board proceeded with separate roll‑call votes on the positions. The roll calls recorded affirmative votes from Supervisors Hall, McGowan, Goss, Engle and Sarah Sola, and the motion carried.

Board members who pushed back urged clearer process and decorum in future leadership selections. Supervisor Rick Foster called for steps to reduce personal friction on the dais, saying the board should pursue “some interactions that are not dissension.” Chair Goss, reflecting on his selection, said he was honored and flagged collaboration as a top priority for the year.

The election concluded with no formal legal action taken regarding the Brown Act questions raised during the discussion; county counsel’s offer to research the matter remained on the table.