Commissioners vote to cut back regular meetings
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Prior to 2002, the commission had met quarterly, but in January of 2002 a resolution to begin meeting monthly was passed with the actual monthly meetings beginning in February.
The commission currently meets the third Monday of the month and that will not change. The new every other month schedule is set to take effect with the June meeting. At that point, the next regular meeting will take place in August.
The move to meet less often was not without controversy, with some commissioners adamantly, and vocally, opposed to the change. But the resolution, introduced by Commissioner Carl Hulett, passed 13-9 with two commissioners absent.
Hulett said he believed meeting monthly gave committees too little time to review important issues before voting on them.
“That basically, in my opinion, did away with the committee system,” he said. “Because meeting every month the committees did not have time to meet and function as they needed to. That was the biggest reason.”
Commissioner George Smartt, who voiced his opposition prior to the vote, gave his reasons after the meeting.
“As I said earlier, the people of Warren County deserve prompt resolution of any affairs. We’re paid to work by the month, we should be working by the month.”
Commissioner Bill Zechman questioned the advisability of reducing the number of meetings considering the current economic situation in Warren County.
“I don’t want to see us getting in a situation where we’re having to delay important business in the community,” Zechman said. “And now, of all times, with the Carrier announcement we need all hands on deck. We’re in, I wouldn’t say a crisis mode, but we’re in a situation where this commission, the city board and all elected bodies need to be operating at full strength, and not moving to reduce the level of activity.”
Zechman also said he felt the move should come with a commensurate cut in pay.
“I think if we’re going to work half as much, we should be paid half as much,” Zechman said, “and I hope the Budget and Finance Committee will consider a change in the county commission’s salary.”
Other commissioners thought the new schedule should at least be worth a try.
“If we can do the county business,” said Carl Bouldin, who voted yes, “and do it every two months, then it’s fine with me to have the meetings every two months. It’s just like I told somebody a while ago, if we don’t, put up a resolution and go back to having it every month. But if we can do the county business, and do it sufficient, meeting every other month, then I’m for that.”
Still, the new schedule has already required some change in plans for the year. With the fiscal year ending July 1, the current budget will have to be extended to August since the full commission won’t be able to vote on it until its meeting the third Monday of that month. County Executive Kenneth Rogers, however, did not see a problem with that.
“It’ll just be a month later,” he said, “and it has been September or October before we passed a budget.”