Ottawa County Board Elects New Leadership for 2025

In its first meeting of 2025, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners elected John Teeples as chair and Josh Brugger as vice-chair, marking a shift in leadership away from the conservative Ottawa Impact group, which will now hold only four of the eleven seats. This change follows the recent elections where voters chose ten Republicans, four of whom are affiliated with Ottawa Impact, and one Democrat. The meeting featured nearly 50 minutes of public comments and was characterized by a clear division along political lines, with Teeples and Brugger not receiving support from the Ottawa Impact-backed members. Doug Zylstra, the longest-serving member of the new board, emphasized the need for a new administrator in 2025. The next meeting is scheduled for January 7, 2025, where the board will further discuss its organizational structure. Additionally, Democrat Ken Newman has been elected chairman of the board of canvassers, succeeding Carol Nelson-Lee, with a focus on maintaining transparency in the electoral process.