BRAINERD — Doug Houge is the new chairman of the Crow Wing County Board for 2022.
Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday, Jan. 4, to elect Houge to the post after he served as vice chairman in 2021 and half of 2020. Commissioner Bill Brekken will serve as vice chairman this year, also a unanimous vote. This follows the recent county board tradition of elevating the vice chair from the previous year to chair for the next year.
The role of the chair is to run county board meetings. The chair’s signature is also attached to all approved resolutions and other documents on behalf of the rest of the county commissioners.
Houge, 58, first ran for the county board in 2007 to fill the vacant seat left following the unexpected death of John “Jinx” Ferrari. He was most recently reelected in 2020 after facing a challenger and a write-in candidate in District 5, which covers the northeastern portion of the county including the cities of Crosby, Cuyuna, Deerwood, Emily, Fifty Lakes, Ironton, Manhattan Beach, Riverton and Trommald.
Brekken represents District 2, which includes Nisswa, Pequot Lakes, Breezy Point, Crosslake and Jenkins.
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Houge, 58, first ran for the county board in 2007 to fill the vacant seat left following the unexpected death of John “Jinx” Ferrari. He was most recently reelected in 2020 after facing a challenger and a write-in candidate in District 5, which covers the northeastern portion of the county including the cities of Crosby, Cuyuna, Deerwood, Emily, Fifty Lakes, Ironton, Manhattan Beach, Riverton and Trommald.
Brekken represents District 2, which includes Nisswa, Pequot Lakes, Breezy Point, Crosslake and Jenkins.
