Fifth District Commissioner Mike Lee will lead the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners this year as board chairman.

The commissioners on Tuesday elected Lee to the position, and 3rd District Commissioner Jim Nelson as vice chairman.

Lee, who resides in Albert Lea’s 6th Ward, was elected to the board in March 2011 after the seat was vacated by former Commissioner Linda Tuttle in August 2010. Tuttle, a former Freeborn County recorder, was convicted in 2011 of diverting $1.3 million from her company Albert Lea Abstract Co., to herself for personal use, mainly for gambling at an Iowa casino.

Lee, who ran but lost against Tuttle in 2008, completed Tuttle’s term and then was re-elected to the board in 2012.

He served as vice chairman in 2014.

Lee said one of his main goals for the year is to come up with a way to address the shortfall in funding for roads.

Commissioners previously approved a wheelage tax, which is expected to bring in $290,000 a year. Lee said the commissioners may need to review whether this is the best option for raising funding or if something else needs to be considered.

The board next week will talk more about a possible countywide half-cent sales tax to support road projects. This could generate about $1.8 million a year.

“I want to hear what people have to say on this issue,” he said.

Other priorities are addressing concerns in the Stables area, continuing work to clean up the areas lakes and streams and working with the city on economic development.

“Anything we can do to bring jobs here, I’m all for,” Lee said.

In other action, the board:

• Approved the appointment of Todd Earl as chief deputy in the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office.

• Approved the appointment of Mike Stasko as the new jail administrator in the county jail.

Freeborn County Sheriff Kurt Freitag said Stasko worked on the line staff in the jail for four years before being promoted to correctional sergeant, where he has been for the last six years.

“Mike brings a broad range of experience, knowledge and leadership to the jail administrator position,” Freitag said. “He is forward-thinking, he’s a respected leader among his peers and he will work hard toward accomplishing our goals.”

• Appointed the Albert Lea Tribune as the county’s newspaper in 2015 for publication of legal notices, including the delinquent tax list.

• Approved the commissioner appointments to various committees and organizations.

• Set the 2015 board meeting dates and times. Meetings will be at 8:30 a.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.

• Authorized the banks the county will do business with in 2015.

• Authorized final payments for two road projects.

• Approved repairs to County Ditch 23.