With the election finally over, new and re-elected members of the Knox County Board were sworn in at a special organizational meeting Monday night, and in their first act, re-elected Pamela Davidson as board chair.
In a vote that stuck with party lines, Davidson defeated Brian Friedrich for the position, nine to five. Davidson was nominated by David Amor while Friedrich was nominated by Bob Bondi.
Prior to the vote, board members took nominations and voted for a Chair pro tem. Bondi nominated Friedrich, while Tara Wilder nominated John Hunnigan. Twice the vote ended in a tie, leading to board members deciding to flip a coin to determine who would serve in the temporary position, which was awarded to Hunnigan.
Amor was nominated and elected to the position of Vice-Chair by an eight to six vote, with Sarah Varner crossing party lines. He was nominated by Wilder. He defeated Bondi, who was nominated by Friedrich.
Scott Erickson, Knox County Clerk, was nominated to be the Parliamentarian. He was voted in unanimously.
Brand new board member Patrick Harlan, along with re-elected board members Kyle Rohwedder, Davidson, Wilder, Hunnigan, Friedrich, and Cheryl Nache were sworn in by Erickson. Todd Olinger was not present at the board meeting.
Board members will continue serving on the same committees for the month of December, at the monthly meeting those may be reorganized. Newly elected members will serve on the committees of those they replaced.
The next meeting of the full Knox County Board will be December 26th.
