Polk County Board of Supervisors

With the April 1, 2008, election, we have some new Polk County Board of Supervisors.  There are nine new members of the board joining 14 returning incumbent supervisors. The nine new members are: Dean Johansen, a Spanish teacher; Herschel Brown, who moved to Polk County recently, having retired from Coors Brewery in Golden, Colorado; Katherine Kienholz, a Certified Public Accountant; Patricia Messicci, business consultant; Joan Peterson, a former Wisconsin State Trooper; Jim Edgell, retired businessman and truck driver; Ken Sample, retired from AT&T and a member of the Apple River Town Board; Brian Masters, accountant; and Bob Dueholm, an accountant and a former member of the Wisconsin Assembly.
Three new female Supervisors join Pat Schmidt and me on the Board, so now we have 21.39% female representation on the Polk County Board of Supervisors; but who's counting?
The Tuesday, April 15, Board meeting looks to be an interesting event. A new Board Chair will be selected. (In a break from prior tradition, I'm suggesting that a puff of white smoke from the County Administration Building announce that we have chosen a new leader.) A new Vice-Chair will also be chosen to serve on the Personnel Committee. The second Vice-Chair would serve on the Golden Age Manor Board. Since the County continues to operate the Golden Age Manor, that committee will also be created by the new Board.
We are wondering who will be appointed to serve on the Finance Committee. The new Board Chair will be a member of the Finance Committee, along with one member appointed by the new Chair. Three additional members will be elected by the Board of Supervisors. We have some talent available among the new members, with business people and a handful of accountants joining the Board. The new Finance Committee would be well-advised to break out the Wisconsin Open Meetings Law and read it for comprehension. The former Committee skipped apparently skipped that part of orientation.
Public Protection is a popular committee assignment. Two Supervisors will be appointed by the Chair and three more are elected by the Board.
The remaining committees are Highways; Land & Water/Lime Quarry/Extension; Property/Forestry/Recreation/Solid Waste/Recycling; Board of Health and Aging; Human Services Governing Board; and Land Information. Members of these committees are appointed by the Chair and the remainder are elected by the Board.