Tuesday’s Crow Wing County Board of Commissioners meeting took a surprising turn when a motion was filed by Commissioner Bill Brekken to remove the then-current sitting chairman of the Board, Paul Koering.

Commissioner Koering said he was stunned by Brekken’s motion, but believes this was not an attempt to remove him as chairman due to performance, but instead to publicly embarrass him.

Replacing Koering as Chairman of the Board is Steve Barrows, who believes Koering lost his position due in part to backing a political opponent of current County Commissioner Doug Houge.

Koering does not shy away from the fact that he is indeed backing an opponent of Houge. The now-former chairman believes it is his right to back whoever he feels is best for the job and should not face retribution for those beliefs.

It is indeed election season all across the country, and things seem to being heating up in Crow Wing County.

The motion for a change in chairperson by the Board passed by a 3-2 decision.

By — Brad Hamilton