BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
The Union County Board of County Commissioners met Nov. 19, 2024 for its reorganization and regular meetings.
To begin the reorganization meeting, all welcomed new District 3 Commissioner Melissa McNeal to the board. She had been sworn in earlier in the day, along with all the other commissioners, the superintendent of schools and school board members who had either won or been uncontested in the primary election this year.
The meeting on a Tuesday night is routine for the board following each election, as Florida Statute requires that all officials be sworn in on the second Tuesday after the General Election.
The reorganization meeting reworks the structure of the board and also the assignments of commissioners to the various boards and committees associated with organizations that are part of the county government or assist in its operations. Also included are internal committees that deal with grant and appropriation projects underway in the county.
The first order of business was for the board to vote on who would chair the commission for the coming year and Commissioner Channing Dobbs was selected to continue in the role for another term. Commissioner Donna Jackson was selected to fill the role of vice-chair.
Next came the board and committee assignments. Commissioner Mac Johns will continue to represent the county on the Florida Crown Workforce, S.H.I.P (with Commissioner Willie Croft as the alternate), the Broadband Initiative and on the Juvenile Justice Circuit Advisory Board.
McNeal will take over as a member of the Transportation Disadvantage Board, the North Florida Regional Planning Council, and the North Florida Economic Development Partnership (with returning member County Coordinator Jimmy Williams).
Commissioners Donna Jackson and Channing Dobbs will both serve as members on the New River Solid Waste Association and the New River Public Library Cooperative, with Croft as the alternate for both committees. Jackson will also serve as a member of the Small County Coalition, as will Williams. Croft will also continue to serve on the Mary Brown Union County Public Library Board and the SREC board, with Johns as an alternate on both.
As to the Current Projects and Grant Committees, Dobbs will continue to serve on the Agricultural Educational Facility Grant and the FDOT Grants committees, while Johns will continue on the Broadband Grants and the Providence Fire/EMS Station Grant committees and add service on the FRDAP Grant Commitee. Croft will continue to serve on the Resilient Florida Planning Grant Committee, while McNeal will serve on the Brownfields Grant Committee. Jackson will continue to serve on the Special Category/Historic Preservation Grant Committee and will add service to the Courthouse Security Grant Committee and the Public Safety Complex Grant Committee. She has also already volunteered to serve on two committees that will be formed at some point in the future – the New EMS Headquarters Grant and the Opioid Abatement Fund committees.
