Josh Kerns to chair Board of County Commissioners

Spokane County Commissioner Josh Kerns will chair the Board of County Commissioners for 2021 after he was chosen by his fellow commissioners Tuesday.

Kerns, a Republican, was first elected in 2016 and was a former legislative aide to Sen. Jeff Holy, who was a state representative at the time, and assisted the late Rep. John Ahern. He won re-election in November. Kerns replaces Republican County Commissioner Al French, who chaired the board four times, including in 2020.

As chair of the board, Kerns will lead county commissioner meetings and will be the face of the governing body for the year. The three commissioners usually rotate who is chair and choose among themselves every January.

County Commissioner Mary Kuney, also a Republican, was chosen as vice chair, and both received unanimous support from their fellow commissioners.