Mills County supervisors appoint Richard Crouch chair, approve 2026 rules and routine financial resolutions; condemnation commission action tabled

Richard Crouch was appointed chair and Jack Sayers vice chair during the Mills County Board of Supervisors’ reorganization meeting, and the board approved a slate of routine 2026 governance and financial items while tabling action on the Condemnation Commission roster for further study.

The meeting resumed from a brief recess because one board member was absent; a motion to appoint Crouch drew discussion about departing from the customary rotation of the chair. An unidentified supervisor who made the motion said, "I feel Mr. Crouch has been here a long time," and the board carried the appointment by the roll-call result reported as 2–1. "Thank you all," Crouch said after the vote.

In other leadership housekeeping, the board approved Jack Sayers as vice chair. The board also adopted Robert's Rules of Order for 2026 and approved the agenda as presented.

The supervisors approved several routine resolutions and administrative items for 2026. The board:

- Adopted Resolution 26-01 naming county depositories (packet lists a maximum deposit of up to $3,000,000 for one institution). - Adopted Resolution 26-02 to authorize payment of fixed charges in advance when appropriate, citing Iowa Code section 331.506 as the statutory authority for paying freight, postage, utilities and similar items to avoid interest or late fees. - Set the county mileage reimbursement rate at $0.67 per mile for the coming year. - Approved a return to a two-week accounts-payable schedule meant to free staff time and reduce workload peaks. - Designated the Malvern Leader and the Opinion Tribune (as spoken in the record) as the county newspapers for official publications. - Approved the suggested 2026 paid-holiday schedule, including two floating holidays. - Kept the procurement threshold requiring county officials to get prior approval before purchasing furniture, fixtures or equipment exceeding $500 (noted in the Iowa Code). - Authorized the chair to approve emergency expenses between meetings. - Confirmed Dr. Baer and four deputies as the county medical examiner and deputies after a motion and second.

On the Condemnation Commission, staff member Katie explained the statutory criteria and distribution requirements the county must meet (the transcript references a code section spoken as "6 b 0.4" and a minimum membership of 28 with distribution constraints). Supervisors noted the current roster numbers and that some listed members may no longer meet residency or category requirements. The board voted to take no action on appointments and tabled the item to next week's meeting so members can review the roster and meet legal composition requirements.

During an open-discussion period, supervisors highlighted priorities for the year and concerns raised by members or visitors. Topics included potential placement of an EMS advisory tax on the ballot to sustain emergency services, concerns about a proposed battery-storage unit associated with Mid America Energy and emergency-response training for local fire departments, a proposed $450,000,000 cattle processing plant and related road impacts, landfill traffic and tax-base concerns (speakers cited a landfill tonnage figure of 650,000 tons), and opportunities to regionalize public health services. One supervisor noted the county’s median/average resident income as $44,000 while urging tighter local spending controls to address high property taxes. Several speakers requested further research and more precise figures before policy steps are taken.

Votes at a glance: - Chair (appoint Richard Crouch): Motion carried (reported tally 2–1). - Vice chair (appoint Jack Sayers): Motion carried (roll-call affirmative responses recorded). - Adopt Robert's Rules of Order: Approved. - Resolution 26-01 (depositories, includes $3,000,000 maximum listed in packet): Approved. - Resolution 26-02 (payment of fixed charges per Iowa Code §331.506): Approved. - Mileage reimbursement at $0.67/mile: Approved. - Accounts-payable two-week schedule: Approved. - Procurement approval threshold (> $500): Approved. - Authorize chair to approve emergency expenses: Approved. - Designate county newspapers (Malvern Leader; Opinion Tribune as spoken): Approved. - Designate Dr. Baer as medical examiner and deputies: Approved. - Condemnation Commission roster: Tabled to next week for further review.

The board adjourned at 9:17 a.m. The Condemnation Commission roster will be revisited at the next scheduled meeting so supervisors can reconcile membership with statutory composition requirements.