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Osage County commissioners elect chair, set 2026 administrative calendar and approve routine resolutions
Summary
The Osage County Board of County Commissioners elected Heather Cooter chair and Brandon Smith vice chair for 2026, designated the Osage County Herald Chronicle as the official newspaper, set mileage at 72.5¢/mile, approved the holiday and payroll calendars, and confirmed bank depositories and department reappointments.
Heather Cooter was elected chair and Brandon Smith vice chair at the Osage County Board of County Commissioners’ Jan. 13 reorganization meeting. Commissioners set the chair and vice chair term dates from Jan. 13, 2026, through Jan. 12, 2027, and agreed to hold regular meetings at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays with one quarterly evening meeting to be scheduled.
The board designated the Osage County Herald Chronicle as the official county newspaper for Jan. 13, 2026, through Jan. 12, 2027. It also set the federal mileage reimbursement rate for county travel at 72.5 cents per mile, effective Jan. 13, 2026.
On personnel and operations, commissioners approved the 2026 holiday schedule (including an early close for 12/31/2026 with offices closing to the public at 11 a.m. and employees paid for a full shift at the director’s discretion) and adopted guidance for part-time holiday pay. The board approved the 2026 biweekly payroll calendar presented by Paycor, excluding the 01/02/2026 date, and authorized the transfer-station holiday schedule to remain the same as 2025 for specified holidays.
The commission reappointed several department directors for one-year terms: Jackie Patterson (county health department director), Ryan Fine (public works director), Kevin Coley (lead department director), Fran Dieter (public transportation/senior center director), Trisha Webb (land development director), Colleen Mendoza (economic development director), and Steve Rosemer (Osage County surveyor). Commissioners also approved a list of local banks as county depositories for Jan. 13, 2026–Jan. 12, 2027.
All of the motions above were moved, seconded, and approved by voice vote during the reorganization portion of the meeting. The meeting record shows no roll-call tallies; all routine items carried on unanimous voice votes by those present.
The board indicated plans to follow up on meeting-time preferences, holiday definitions, and clarifications to signatory authority on bank accounts in subsequent meetings.
