Black Hawk County supervisors elect chair, set committees and approve appointments for 2026

The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors reorganized for 2026 at its Jan. 2 meeting in Waterloo, electing Supervisor Linda Laylin as board chair and Supervisor Justin Brandt as chair pro tem and approving committee assignments and appointments to regional boards.

The board received and filed the meeting agenda, then adopted a resolution electing Laylin chair for the year. The vote on the chair resolution was recorded as AYES: Justin Brandt, Tavis Hall, Ritchie Kurtenbach, Linda Laylin and Chris Schwartz; NAYS: none. Kurtenbach later moved, and Hall seconded, a resolution electing Brandt chair pro tem; that resolution also passed unanimously.

The supervisors established the standing committees for 2026 and approved a slate of representatives and alternates to regional bodies and commissions, including Black Hawk County Emergency Management Agency, the First Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, IA Northland regional bodies (INRCOG, regional economic development and housing councils), the North Iowa Juvenile Detention Commission, and multiple water management authorities. Ritchie Kurtenbach noted other committees not listed may need appointments and asked that meeting times be included on committee lists when possible. Assistant County Attorney Michael Treinen recommended approving the committee structure now and updating memberships later.

The board also authorized several routine administrative actions. It authorized the County Auditor’s office to issue cigarette permits on behalf of Black Hawk County for 2026; adopted a resolution authorizing the County Auditor to issue payments during 2026 for utilities, insurance, telephone, salaries and payrolls, postage, court reporters, jury and witness fees, criminal history record checks, bank and bond fees, and emergency expenses for Community Services, Veteran Affairs and Sheriff’s Departments; and passed a resolution authorizing County Auditor Karen Showalter to conduct claims and payroll transactions on behalf of the Auditor’s Office effective Jan. 1, 2026. Each of those measures was adopted by unanimous vote.

The board designated The Courier and the Hudson Herald Printing as the county’s two official newspapers for 2026.

The meeting record shows the board approved these organizational and administrative items by motions and resolutions and adjourned to the remainder of its regular business.