Local news- Press Release
Wright County Minnesota - County Board Names Vetsch Chair for Second Straight Year 05 January 2024 ( news )
Wright County , state Minnesota ( By Press Release office)
Jan 05,2024
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At its Jan . 2 reorganizational meeting , the Wright County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved Commissioner Darek Vetsch to serve as the board chair for a second consecutive year .
Typically , the chairmanship is done on a rotational basis . There have been some exceptions . In 2022 , Commissioner Christine Husom was selected as board chair despite it not being her turn in the rotation – honoring her last year of service as a commissioner .
The last time a Wright County commissioner served back - to - back years as the chair was Vetsch’s predecessor , Pat Sawatzke , who served 26 years on the county board – the last two as chair .
Vetsch is entering his eighth year as a county commissioner and said he was both surprised and honored to be nominated and unanimously approved to be the chair again in 2024 .
“It’s humbling , ” Vetsch said . “It’s nice to be able to share the knowledge I have acquired in seven years as a commissioner . I value being able to share my experience in a leadership role to help come to resolutions as a group – especially on issues that can be polarizing for some of the commissioners on specific topics . ”
Vetsch said every board chair runs meetings differently and there is nuance to doing the job . His approach has been to steer the conversation without imposing his own views as much as possible into those discussions . He said it isn’t easy , but something he has learned over time .
“There’s a difference when you’re the chair , ” Vetsch said . “In my opinion , you have to take on more of a moderator role and you need to be a little more diplomatic when there are strong differences of opinion . My view of being the chair is that you work to arrive at a compromise when there are opposing viewpoints . At the end of the day , we need to come to a consensus to get things passed and I think I’ve been able to adapt to the role of finding compromise solutions to complicated issues . ”
Every chair brings their personality to the role . Some are strong - willed and run meetings with regimentation , while others take a more laid - back approach in how topics are discussed and eventually voted on . Vetsch said he understands the different techniques others have taken and is mindful that the chair is often the one that represents the board and its decisions .
“It’s an important role on the board because the chair is largely in control as to what topics are discussed and when they’re discussed , ” Vetsch said . “In many ways , the chair is the spokesperson for the county when decisions at the board level need to be made . ”
Vetsch said he expects the dynamic of the board to change in 2024 . In his first year on the board in 2017 , he was the only new commissioner joining a board that had been working together for two years . He had to learn on the job and ask questions about topics which he was unfamiliar .
In 2023 , three new commissioners joined the board and he saw many similarities to his first year . They all had experience working in government , but the issues facing county commissioners are different from city governments or school boards . He said the new commissioners hit the ground running last year and that experience has widened their knowledge of issues that impact county government .
“I think the dynamic of the board is evolving , ” Vetsch said . “The longer you’re in the role of commissioner , the more comfortable you become in having a fuller understanding of the issues coming before the board . You get better at articulating your perspective because you have a deeper knowledge base than you had when you first started and everything was new . There were times in my first year I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of information you have to take in to make an informed decision . I would expect that coming into this year , the three commissioners that were new in 2023 will be a greater asset because , while they were all very knowledgeable about how government works coming in , every level of government is different because there are issues at the county level that you just don’t deal with in other levels of government . ”
Vetsch said he is looking forward to the challenges the county will face in 2024 and is taking on his role as board chair enthusiastically .
“It’s something I’ve come to enjoy , ” Vetsch said . “If a board chair is doing the job right , you’re respectful of people’s opinions and respectful of the time of others in the boardroom for those discussions . I believe I’ve gotten better at that since the first time I was chair and I look forward to helping reach a consensus among the commissioners on the critical issues we will face in the coming year . ”
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