By Vern Cahak

The Langlade County Board of Supervisors re-elected David Solin to his fourth consecutive two-year term as chairman and selected Pete Pennington and Ronald Nye as vice chairmen at its annual reorganizational meeting.

Solin is a 10-year veteran on the board and has been chairman since 2010. He represents District 20, towns of Neva and Price. Although he was absent from the meeting due to a medical procedure, Solin received 16 votes. Three votes were cast for Doug Nonnenmacher.

Pennington was elected first vice chairman with 12 votes and Nye second vice chairman with 11 votes.  Previously, there was one vice chairman and Nye held that position. Pennington represents District 13, Town of Antigo, Ward 1 and Nye is supervisor of District 11, Town of Rolling, Ward 2.

The board also returned Richard Hurlbert to his seat as chairman of the highway committee. H  He represents District 3, Third Ward, City of Antigo. Arleen Bonacci was elected vice chairperson of the Highway committee, James Jansen, secretary, and Pennington and Larry Poltrock members.

There is just one new member on the 21-member county board. Julie Ann Web replaces long-time supervisor Mike Klimoski, who served for 28 years as supervisor of District 18, Town of Wolf River, Ward 1, and Village of White Lake. Klimoski did not seek re-election.

In the only contest for supervisor, Richard Schuh won re-election by a card draw after a tie vote in the April 5 election. He and Kathleen Kelly received 187 votes each.

Although he did not file nomination papers for re-election, Larry Poltrock’s three write-in votes returned him to District 6 seat.

Two of the major resolutions on the agenda were reorganizing positions in the health and social services departments to provide services for both departments and to amend the rules of the board to change oversight of the juvenile justice program under the supervision of the department of social services.

By a unanimous 20-0 vote, the board approved the reorganization matter but there was some opposition to amending the oversight of the juvenile justice program. After hearing comments by Ron Barger, who oversees the social services and health departments, the board voted 14-6 to implement the new plan, by which a three-member panel would review juvenile out-of-home placements before they would be decided upon by the Judge. Judge John Rhode, voiced opposition to the proposal.

A huge deficit in out-of-home placements for juveniles prompted the action.  It was noted that there is a $372,840 shortfall in the budget and the projected budget shortfall for 2016 is $311,742.