The Van Buren County Commission elected Terry Hickey as chairman and Rip Van Winkle as vice chairman during its meeting Tuesday.
The election for vice chairman required multiple rounds of voting after the initial tallies for nominees Terry Hodges and Rip Van Winkle failed to reach the required six-vote majority.
Van Buren County Mayor Barry Austin said he consulted with other county mayors to determine the most effective way to structure the legislative committees. Burrell said the new assignments divide the commissioners into three groups to oversee various county departments, including solid waste, fire protection, and the annual budget.
The commission approved the mayor’s committee appointments with a 9-1 vote.
