Mills County supervisors elect Richard Crouch chair, set 2026 schedule and policies

The Mills County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 2, 2026, elected Supervisor Richard Crouch as chair and Supervisor Jack Sayers as vice chair for the year, set its regular meeting time for Tuesdays at 8:15 a.m., and approved a slate of procedural and personnel policies to start the county’s 2026 business.

Supervisor Lonnie Mayberry moved to select Richard Crouch as chair for 2026, with Richard Crouch seconding; the board approved the motion on a roll call vote, 2–1, with Jack Sayers recorded as the lone dissent. Later, Mayberry moved and Crouch seconded the unanimous selection of Jack Sayers as vice chair.

The supervisors approved the meeting agenda and adopted Robert’s Rules of Order by unanimous vote. By motion, the board set its weekly regular meetings for every Tuesday at 8:15 a.m. at the Mills County Courthouse; that scheduling motion passed on a 2–1 roll call (Mayberry and Crouch aye, Sayers nay).

The board designated The Opinion-Tribune and the Malvern Leader as the county newspapers for 2026 and approved the county’s list of paid holidays for the year, including President’s Day (Feb. 16), Memorial Day (May 25), Independence Day observed July 3, Labor Day (Sept. 7), Veterans Day (Nov. 11), Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) and the following Friday (Nov. 27), Christmas Day (Dec. 25), and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2027). Both motions passed unanimously.

On finance and administrative matters, the supervisors approved Resolution 26‑01 naming county depositories and adopting the Mills County investment policy and Resolution 26‑02 authorizing payment of fixed charges for 2026; both resolutions passed on unanimous votes. The board set the county mileage reimbursement rate at $0.67 per mile and approved the accounts payable schedule for 2026 as listed in the minutes; those motions carried 3–0.

The board also established an internal purchasing control requiring county officials to obtain prior approval before purchasing furniture, fixtures or equipment that exceed $500, and authorized the chair to approve emergency expenses at the request of the county auditor when the board is not in session. Both measures were approved unanimously.

Supervisors approved a comprehensive set of 2026 committee and board assignments, naming members and alternates for dozens of local and regional bodies (examples include ALUS assigned to Crouch with Mayberry as alternate; Heartland 2050 assigned to Mayberry with Crouch as alternate; and various conservation, planning, and regional partnerships). The full list appears in the official minutes and resolution packet.

The board designated Dr. Baer as Medical Examiner and named four assistants as deputy medical examiners. A motion to appoint Mills County residents to serve on the county Condemnation Commission was tabled and moved to the Jan. 6, 2026 meeting.

Following a brief open discussion in which each supervisor outlined priorities for the year, the board adjourned at 9:17 a.m. A recording of the meeting and the complete resolutions are posted by the Mills County Auditor’s Office.