DeWitt County board swears in members, elects leadership and approves committee rosters

The DeWitt County Board administered oaths to newly elected members for District C and District D, confirmed leadership for the year and approved committee appointments and the board’s meeting calendar.

The board’s presiding official presented certificates of election and abstracts of the vote, then swore in Tom Harris for DeWitt County Board District C and Rob Walters for DeWitt County Board District D. During the oath, Harris and Walters each repeated the required pledge to support the constitutions and to faithfully discharge their duties.

The board then opened nominations for chair. After nominations were made and a motion to close nominations was seconded, the board took a roll-call vote and the motion carried. The meeting was turned over to the newly elected chair.

Members next nominated and confirmed Terry Burkeson as vice chair. A motion to accept the slate of committee appointments followed and passed after a roll-call vote. The chair read the committee assignments into the record: Property committee with Ferguson as chair and Whitty as vice chair (members Ferris, Hammer and Ryan); Land Use with Carter as chair and Ryan as vice chair (members Deer Wester, Tilly and Witte); Public Safety with Myers as chair and Farris as vice chair (members Carter, Wertz and Walters); Road and Bridge with Prestigard as chair and Works as vice chair (members Deer Wester, Walters and Hammer); and Finance comprised of the chairs from the other committees with Tilly and Prestigard in lead roles on finance as described by the chair.

The board also announced appointments and liaisons to external boards and commissions: Liquor Commission (Ryan, chair; Ferguson, vice chair; Prestigard, Carter, Wertz), DCDC continued with Myers, Friendship Center liaison Wertz, 708 Board liaison Gearwester, Regional Office of Education liaison Hammer, Bi-County Health liaison Tilly and the 911/ETSD board assigned to Ferris.

The board approved publication of the 2024 and 2025 meeting schedule. The chair read the proposed dates into the record: Dec. 19, 2024; and for 2025: Jan. 23, Feb. 20, Mar. 20, Apr. 24, May 22, June 19, July 24, Aug. 21, Sept. 18, Oct. 23 and Nov. 20. After a roll-call vote the motion to publish the dates carried.

During public comment a resident welcomed the new members, saying, "We're off to new beginnings," and urged colleagues to work together and respect differing views. Another commenter made an observational remark about multiple board members sharing surnames beginning with W.

The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn was seconded by Ferguson and approved by voice vote.

The board took formal votes at multiple points: to close nominations for chair and turn the meeting over to the elected chair, to confirm the vice chair, to accept committee appointments, to publish the meeting calendar and to adjourn. Future items or policy decisions beyond organizational business were not taken up at this meeting.