Hancock County Commission approves donations, MOU for ambulance service and multiple election, finance and policy items

Hancock County Commissioners met Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, and approved a series of routine and programmatic items, including a $1,000 donation to the Shop with a Cop program and a memorandum of understanding with the county ambulance service.

The commission unanimously moved to record and fund the Hancock County Deputy Sheriffs Association request for the 37th annual Shop with a Cop program with a $1,000 donation. The board then considered and approved an MOU with the county ambulance service; the presiding officer invited Joe Polgar to sign the agreement during the meeting and noted the MOU should help the ambulance seek grant funding and recognition.

Commissioners heard a presentation from Mayor Dean Harris of the city of Weirton and Rachel Keaney about an America 250 mural proposed for a downtown location. Harris and Keaney described the mural as celebrating U.S. history and Weirton’s local history; the commission moved to support the project and asked the presenters to return to the Dec. 11 meeting for further recognition.

Personnel and appointments: the commission opened consideration to hire Melissa McGinnis as a part-time office assistant effective Dec. 1, 2025, but no motion was made and no appointment occurred. Separately, the board moved to appoint Rico L. Brown to the Northern Panhandle Workforce Development Board; a commissioner noted they had interviewed Brown and thanked outgoing chair John Cerrone for his service.

Finance, policies and approvals: the commission approved General Fund Revision No. 5 for fiscal year 2026 (which the presiding officer said acknowledges an EMS equipment grant passed through the county); approved an updated county purchase policy to align with current practices; and approved several election-related policies for 2026, including an emergency absentee voting policy, an election security policy (renewed annually), and a voter data request form for public requests to the clerk’s office.

The commission approved routine finance items: the monthly financial report; general county bills totaling $64,196.80; P-card funds totaling $25,512.36; and levy-funded bills and requisitions for the animal shelter, sheltered workshop and library funds.

Other actions: the board approved a current hydro lease agreement and approved a county claim related to the Shenton Estate concerning Kennedy Marina. The commission also approved an order and notice to place a special excess levy on the May 12, 2026 ballot to fund the Anker County Bridal Shelter (as described in the motion).

Announcements and next steps: Commissioner Cowley offered Thanksgiving wishes and condolences to the Ross family and announced local parades; Commissioner Allgood offered additional condolences and congratulations to local school teams. The presiding officer noted a vacancy on the Hancock County Health Board (applications have not been received) and announced upcoming meetings on Dec. 11 and Dec. 23. The meeting adjourned after a motion to adjourn.

Votes at a glance: the transcript records repeated "Aye" responses for motions to approve items throughout the agenda; specific roll-call tallies were not provided in the transcript, and where no motion was made (the Melissa McGinnis hire) there was no vote.

The commission is expected to revisit the mural presentation on Dec. 11; no other follow-up deadlines were specified in the transcript.