December 19, 2011, Special Called Meeting of the Water District Board.
For those who did not attend this meeting of the Water District Board aka Board of Commissioners you missed one of the best examples of an all powerful elected representative democracy in action.
The meeting started with the Board of Commissioners sitting as the Water District Board. This is a handy way for elected officials to assure themselves that any decision by one board is automatically approved by the other. Apparently this dual role confused Commissioner Pegram. Chairman Garrison politely explained to Commissioner Pegram what was happening.
Generally, the County Manager publishes a packet of all public documents prior to Board meetings. This helps inform both the public and the Commissioners prior and during public meetings on the topics to be presented for discussion and voted. There were no public documents published before the Water Board’s meeting. An oversight? To follow along during the meeting I referred to Tim Carpenter’s memo to the Board dated December 1, 2011, titled Vance County Water District – Phase 1A Project Update. The memo was included in the Commissioners’ December 5, 2011 meeting packet.
The Board approved the first three items on the agenda in rapid succession. The fourth item on the Water Board agenda and the only item on the Board of Commissioners agenda is titled “Other items as needed.” Other items as needed sounds like miscellaneous. Don’t be fooled.
The County Attorney stated that the Board of Commissioners had not approved the May 6, 2008, bond referendum; the referendum authorizing borrowing $26 million to build a county water system. The Commissioners and the Water Board have been pushing county water without formally approving the vote for the bonds to fund their pet project. The Water Board swiftly approved the attorney’s resolution approving the 2008 bond referendum.
The Chairman immediately adjourned the Water Board and called to order a special meeting of the Board of Commissioners. When two important boards are comprised of the same people there is little waste of time. The six Commissioners present approved the May 6, 2008, bond referendum closing the loop. Total meeting time about twelve minutes.
Two concluding thoughts.
It may be legally correct for the Board of Commissioners to approve a vote that occurred more than three years ago. Should those who were not board members in 2008 be allowed to approve the 2008 bond referendum? Is it legalize to masquerade the Board of Commissioners error of inaction as ‘other times as needed’ in the published agenda of a county commissioners’ special called meeting or is that intentional misdirection by those in power?
Happy Holidays, Happy Winter Solstice, Merry Christmas.
As long as the citizens don’t call these clowns on this type of misbehavior–it will continue.
My 2012 resolution–get out of this county.