Harrison County supervisors elect leadership, approve 2026 appointments and routine contracts

The Harrison County Board of Supervisors opened its meeting by electing its 2026 leadership and approving a series of routine personnel and contract items. The board elected its president and voted to approve Ken Jones as vice president. It approved Boyce Holloman & Associates as board counsel for 2026 and appointed Bobby Trosclair as county administrator, Walter M. Foster as comptroller, Jacqueline Turner as county engineer, Judy Williams as purchase clerk and Dusty Van Clark as human resources director for 2026.

Supervisors also reapproved employment for all existing county staff for 2026 and approved payroll- and personnel-related listings on file with the clerk. The board authorized an amendment (No. 1) to contract 2026-07 with the Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District to add $76,105 for Harrison County Senior Services, extending the senior center contract from Dec. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026.

Other routine actions approved by voice vote included travel and claims payments, the appointment of Angela Frasch to assemble homestead-exemption materials under Mississippi law citations presented at the meeting, and authorization to advertise for the Harrison County Road Manager position. The board also approved fee waivers for local community groups and an extension for closeout of a Community Development Block Grant-funded Gulfport Highlands Development LP project through March 31, 2026.

These items were passed by motions and voice votes recorded during the meeting; supervisors indicated support with an "Aye" for each. The board concluded the routine portion of the agenda before proceeding to a scheduled hearing on a zoning appeal at 10 a.m.

The meeting adjourned after final votes and procedural business; the board noted plans for workshops on zoning changes later in the process.