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Donnell appointed commissioner
Donnell

Brandon Donnell has been appointed as 3rd District County Commissioner after a nomination process and vote at the County Commission regular meeting last Monday evening. Donnell will fill the seat of Susannah Cripps, who announced her resignation last month. Her term expires on August 31, 2026.

At the County Commission’s Meeting of the Whole the previous Thursday, six individuals introduced themselves and expressed their willingness to serve the 3rd District seat.

Those speaking during the meeting were Donnell, Eden Nokes, Johnny Croom, Tim Perricone, Stuart Colwell, and Len Dickens.

Donnell told the commission, “I am a Christian and attend the Smithville First Freewill Baptist Church. I align myself with conservative values. I am a Republican and a lifelong resident of DeKalb County. I graduated high school here in 2005. I currently work at the Smithville Police Department as a detective. I have been with the department for 14 years. Before that I worked at the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department for a little over four years. I started working there when I was 19 years old.”

“I have been serving the people of DeKalb County pretty much all of my adult life ... I want this county to thrive. I want my kids to graduate here, go off to college and get a good education, come back, start their families here, raise their kids here and be proud of DeKalb County just like I am. I don’t know everything there is to know about all the issues this county is facing but that’s the reason why I would like to serve, to learn more and do more for the betterment of this county.”

During Monday’s regular meeting, Commissioner Tony Luna first nominated Croom, while Commissioner Tom Chandler nominated Donnell. Commissioner Andy Pack would then nominate Colwell before nominations ceased.

During a vote by the full commission, commissioners could vote for one or all three candidates, with the one with the majority of the then 13-seat commission taking the seat. Croom received five votes from Luna, Larry Green, Beth Pafford, Myron Rhody, and Mathias Anderson.

Donnell would then receive 10 votes from Chandler, Larry Green, Greg Matthews, Andy Pack, Mathias Anderson, Glynn Merriman, Daniel Cripps, Jeff Barnes, Sabrina Farler, and Tony (Cully) Culwell.

A vote for Colwell was then held and Pack, Tony Luna, Larry Green, Myron Rhody, Mathias Anderson, and Tony (Cully) Culwell voted in favor.

Having received the majority of votes, Donnell was declared the winner and took a seat at the commission. After the meeting, he was officially sworn into office by County Mayor Matt Adcock. He will serve out Cripps’ term until it expires on August 31, 2026.

In other commission news, the county commission voted to relocate the Election Commission offices from the first floor of the courthouse to unused office space at the county complex. In addition, a budget amendment was approved in the amount of $110,000 for renovations of the office space. The funds will be appropriated from the fund balance of the capital projects budget.

Also at the meeting, Jan Thomas, representing several senior citizens in attendance, addressed the commission concerning the History Room at the County Complex, and the need for its continued use by seniors and others groups. There had been some discussion over making the History Room a dedicated history room, or even converting the space to offices.

“The history room is used every day by the DeKalb County Senior Citizens,” said Thomas.” We play volleyball three days a week and on Tuesdays we have a cardio upper body strengthening drumming class.”

“On Thursdays we have a Tai Chi and yoga class. The age range that we are currently serving is from age 62 to 99. Today we have over 30 people come to play volleyball. In addition to the activities that I mentioned, the following uses of the history room have happened in the last 12 months: weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties, receptions, meetings of the DeKalb Telephone Cooperative, and even the county commission has met there on Thursday nights. The DeKalb County Board of Education has held teacher in-services. Our DeKalb County Senior Citizens are very active in supporting our veterans. The history room has also been used from time to time as an auxiliary lunch area where we have fed the band and chorus on Veterans Day,” Thomas said.

Commissioner Myron Rhody thanked the seniors for coming forth and expressing their views on the history room and its current use, saying, “I don’t think we realized how much that space was being used.”

The commission also voted to raise the rental rates of county community centers from $50 to $100. The rate change would be for centers at Johnson Chapel, Belk, Keltonburg, Blue Springs, Midway, Snow Hill, and Temperance Hall Community Centers. The Cherry Hill Community Center is currently under lease. This does not apply to the rental rates at the county complex.