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Brown County commissioners approve 2026 chair, personnel policy, health officer and official newspaper
Summary
At its Jan. 12 meeting the Brown County Board of Commissioners appointed Lucas Heinen as 2026 chairman and approved several administrative resolutions, including bank designations, the county personnel policy, a GAAP waiver, appointment of Melanie Mears as health officer, and selection of The Horton Headlight as the official county newspaper. Payroll and claims were also approved.
The Brown County Board of Commissioners approved a series of administrative actions at its Jan. 12 meeting, appointing Lucas Heinen as the 2026 commission chairman and approving multiple resolutions that set banking relationships, adopt the county personnel policy and GAAP waiver for auditing, and name an official county newspaper.
Those actions set the county’s administrative and financial structures for 2026 and finalize personnel and public-notice arrangements that affect operations and public transparency.
Commissioner Richard Tesoriero moved to appoint Lucas Heinen as 2026 commission chairman; Commissioner Lucas Heinen seconded the motion, which carried. The board formalized the appointment with Resolution #2026-01.
The commission approved Resolution #2026-02, designating Citizens State Bank, UMB Bank (Hiawatha Branch), GNBank, Farmers State Bank, First Option Bank and the State of Kansas Municipal Investment Pool as Brown County checking and investment banks for 2026. The motion to approve the bank list was made by Commissioner Richard Tesoriero and seconded by Commissioner Lucas Heinen.
In a separate action, the board opened bids for the county’s official newspaper and recorded two offers: The Hiawatha World at $3.00 per column inch and The Horton Headlight at $2.20 per column inch. Commissioner Richard Tesoriero moved to accept The Horton Headlight bid; Commissioner William Pollock seconded. The motion carried and the board adopted Resolution #2026-03 appointing The Horton Headlight as the official county newspaper for 2026; the board directed that information also be published in the Hiawatha World to ensure public notice.
Commissioners approved Resolution #2026-04 adopting the 2026 Brown County personnel policy and wage structure and Resolution #2026-05 adopting a GAAP waiver policy for auditing purposes. Both motions carried on recorded motions and seconds.
The board also approved Resolution #2026-06 appointing Melanie Mears as Brown County Health Officer. On a separate motion, the commission appointed Mears to the NEKES Board of Directors. Both motions carried.
Votes at a glance: all recorded motions noted in the minutes were carried; individual recorded motions list the mover and seconder but do not include roll-call tallies in the minutes.
The board approved payroll for the Jan. 7, 2026 pay period, with listed fund totals and a total payroll of $176,586.46. The commissioners also approved accounts payable for Jan. 12, 2026; the minutes list fund totals and a total claims amount of $92,071.17.
The meeting adjourned at 3:29 p.m. The commissioners scheduled their next regular meeting for Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.
