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Lyle Simpson elected Alexandria council president; council names committee chairs and approves rules
Summary
At its Jan. 6 organizational meeting, the Village of Alexandria Council elected Lyle Simpson as council president after Mayor Sean Barnes cast a tie‑breaking vote, appointed Sarah Chambers, Mitch Peters and Cari Meng as committee chairs and approved amended 2026 Rules of Order, keeping meetings on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m.
At the Village of Alexandria organizational meeting on Jan. 6, councilors elected Lyle Simpson as the 2026 council president after a three‑way tie was broken by Mayor Sean Barnes, who cast the deciding vote in Simpson’s favor. The meeting opened at 7:01 p.m., included the swearing‑in of new members and a roll call of officials and staff.
Council confirmed the 2026 committee chairs: Sarah Chambers was appointed chair of the Finance Committee (which the minutes say includes all council members and oversees the budget, taxes and spending), Mitch Peters was named chair of Public Safety (police, fire, EMS, code enforcement and animal control), and Cari Meng was named chair of Public Service (streets, parks, water and sewer responsibilities). Each appointment was recorded as being approved unanimously.
Council discussed proposed edits to the Council Rules of Order, noting suggested language changes to Rules 8, 9 and 19 to reference the fiscal officer or a designee. Members also considered alternate meeting days but voted to retain the regular meeting schedule on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. Councilwoman Cari Meng moved to approve the Rules of Order as amended; Councilman Lyle Simpson seconded the motion and the council voted unanimously to adopt the rules.
The meeting minutes record that Fiscal Officer Carol Gissinger was absent and that village officials present included Solicitor David Ball, Administrator Kendra Borror, Police Chief Dan Bunting and Zoning Inspector Jacob Brooks. Two citizens (Amy Peters and Jeff Baer) were listed as present. The organizational meeting concluded following a motion by Councilwoman Meng, seconded by Councilwoman Chambers, to adjourn; the chair declared the meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m.
The actions taken set leadership and committee assignments for the council’s 2026 work and established the Rules of Order and meeting cadence the council will follow for the year.
