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Judge orders removal of Supervisor Scott Bell; Pottawattamie County opens applications for replacement
Summary
Third District Judge Roger Sailor ordered the removal of Supervisor Scott Bell effective Dec. 4, 2025; the county announced a vacancy and set a 4:30 p.m. deadline on Dec. 12, 2025, for letters of intent from Pottawattamie County residents to fill the seat.
An order by Third District Judge Roger Sailar removing Supervisor Scott Bell will create a vacancy on the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors effective Dec. 4, 2025, county officials said. The board announced an application process and asked residents of Pottawattamie County to submit a letter of intent outlining reasons for interest, qualifications and relevant experience by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, to supervisorvacancy@potcounty-iowa.gov or by delivering it in person to the front security desk of the Pottawattamie County Courthouse.
County officials said the announcement followed a court order; the notice specified the residency requirement and how to apply. The county did not vote on an interim appointment during the meeting. The vacancy announcement was read aloud by the presiding official during the board meeting.
The announcement drew public comment later in the meeting from Dr. Brian Jack Holder, a Council Bluffs resident, who urged the board to call a special election rather than allow an appointment. "This committee was supposed to notify the public that the electors ... have the right to file a petition requiring that the vacancy be filled," Holder said, citing Iowa Code 69.14(a) and asserting the selection committee had not complied with open meetings and notice requirements. Holder said a special election should be called and warned that he could seek an injunction in court to stop the current process.
A supervisor in the meeting responded that, under state code, the county supervisors do not have input into the replacement process for the seat and that selection authority rests with the committee named in the statute. The board did not take further action on the vacancy during the meeting; staff said letters of intent will be received and processed per the instructions in the announcement.
What happens next: County staff will collect letters of intent through the Dec. 12 deadline and forward materials to the appropriate authority. The county's public notice and the timeline for an appointment or election will follow the provisions of Iowa Code 69.14(a), county officials said.
