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Somerset County commissioners elect 2026 chair, split over union negotiations appointments
Summary
The Board of Commissioners appointed Robert Sezak as chair and Scott Seekins as vice-chair for 2026. A contested vote over who should serve on the county’s union negotiations team revealed a 3-2 split on representation.
Robert Sezak was appointed chair of the Somerset County Board of Commissioners for 2026 following a unanimous 5-0 vote on Resolution 26-01. The board also unanimously approved Scott Seekins as vice-chair (Resolution 26-02).
The meeting exposed a division over representation on the county’s union negotiations team. An initial motion to appoint Don Skillings and Scott Seekins failed 2-3; a subsequent motion to appoint John Alsop and Scott Seekins passed 3-2 (Resolution 26-04). Commissioner Don Skillings had said he believed service on the union negotiating committee is “the most important role of a Commissioner because union negotiations set the tone for all County wages,” reflecting concern about who should represent labor-related bargaining positions.
Beyond leadership posts, the board reviewed committee preferences: Commissioner Sezak offered to continue as the county’s CLEO representative and Commissioner Joel Stetkis sought to remain the county’s representative to the Somerset Economic Development Corporation. Commissioners Alsop and Seekins indicated a desire for continuity on committees where they had previously served.
The board’s reorganizational votes set membership for several standing roles that will shape county representation in regional economic and workforce forums during 2026.
