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Rick Bauman elected Mercer County commission chairman; Jamee Folk named vice chair
Summary
At its Jan. 7 meeting in Stanton, the Mercer County Commission reorganized for 2026: Commissioner Rick Bauman was elected chairman in a 3-2 vote and Jamee Folk was selected vice chair 4-1. The board also adopted the NDCC 44-04-20.1 public comment policy.
The Mercer County Commission voted Jan. 7 to reorganize its leadership for 2026, electing Commissioner Rick Bauman as chairman and Jamee Folk as vice chair.
Auditor Carmen Reed presided over the nominations. Casey Voigt nominated Bauman for chairman and Mark Pierce nominated incumbent Gene Wolf; the roll call produced three votes for Bauman and two for Wolf, making Bauman the new chairman. After the chair vote, Bauman called for vice-chair nominations; Folk won that contest by a 4-1 vote over Wolf.
The board also approved a public comment policy under North Dakota Century Code 44-04-20.1 that will allot time for public comment at the end of each agenda. Commissioner Gene Wolf moved to adopt the policy, Casey Voigt seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
The reorganization took place during the commission’s Jan. 7 session in the Mercer County Government Center boardroom in Stanton. The commission recessed and later continued its regular business; the next regular meeting is set for Jan. 21, 2026.
