Pine County commissioners elect Josh Moore chair, Roger Nelson vice chair and set committee slate

The Pine County Board of Commissioners elected Commissioner Josh Moore as board chair and Commissioner Roger Nelson as vice chair during the board's Jan. 6 organizational meeting.

Moore was nominated for chair and won by roll call, with four commissioners voting in favor and one voting against. Nelson was nominated and approved by roll call as vice chair. The board then reviewed and approved committee assignments and the county’s 2026 meeting schedule.

Commissioners agreed to streamline committee membership in some cases by assigning alternates and asking the chair to appoint members as needed between meetings. The board scheduled a committee-of-the-whole meeting for Jan. 27 to review the county’s 2024 strategic plan, confirm priority projects and invite state senators to discuss legislative priorities.

The board also approved the 2026 meeting calendar (regular meetings in Pine City and Sandstone) and directed staff to finalize committee rosters and any required follow-up appointments.

The actions are procedural and set leadership and committee responsibilities for the coming year; no policy changes were adopted at the organizational session.