Worth County supervisors hold exempt strategy session on sheriff’s union

The Worth County Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 Tuesday to enter an exempt session under Iowa Code 20.17(3) for a strategy discussion regarding the sheriff’s union, meeting from 9:30 to 10:46 a.m. on April 20, 2026.

Supervisor Mark Smeby moved "to open the exempt session per Iowa Code 20.17(3) strategy session regarding sheriff’s union," and Supervisor A.J. Stone seconded; the board recorded a roll-call vote of "Aye: Smeby, Stone and Loberg," and the motion carried. Chairperson Enos Loberg called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Jacki A. Backhaus, the county auditor, was present and later signed the minutes.

The board’s action invoked Iowa Code 20.17(3), the statutory authority recorded in the meeting minutes for holding an exempt (closed) session for strategy purposes. The minutes show the board went into that closed session and later voted to end the exempt session at 10:46 a.m. — the closing motion was recorded as "Motion carried" but the minutes do not include a roll-call for the closing vote.

Aside from the motions and the closed-session authorization, the public minutes include no substantive discussion or disclosures from the exempt session. After returning from the exempt session, the board voted to adjourn at 10:46 a.m.

Recorded attendees included Chairperson Enos Loberg; Supervisors A.J. Stone and Mark Smeby; County Attorney Mike Galloway; Payroll Clerk Theresa Van Sabben; Sheriff Jesse Luther; and Auditor Jacki A. Backhaus. The record does not include additional details of the closed-session discussion or any public actions taken regarding the sheriff’s union.