County Commission to revisit committee appointments on Monday
Published 6:06 pm Friday, October 13, 2017
When the Carter County Commission meets on Monday evening, the commissioner will tackle a full agenda of business.
One of the items of business will be the reconsideration of appointments to the County Financial Management Committee.
In September, the Commission appointed commissioners to serve on several standing committees. The Financial Management Committee includes the Carter County Mayor, Carter County Road Superintendent, the Director of Carter County Schools and four other seats which have traditionally been held by members of the Carter County Commission. The commissioners who were serving on the committee prior the September meeting were Ray Lyons, Danny Ward, Bobbie Gouge-Dietz, and Charles Von Cannon.
During the September Commission meeting, Lyons, who had served as chairman of the Financial Management Committee announced he was resigning from the committee and not seeking reappointment.
Commission Chairman Dr. Robert Acuff opened the floor for nominations to fill the four seats on the Financial Management Committee.
Lyons nominated Commissioner Randall Jenkins for a seat. Commissioner Buford Peters nominated Gouge-Dietz. Commissioner Sonja Culler nominated Brad Johnson. Commissioner Ronnie Trivett nominated Ward. Commissioner Timothy Holdren nominated Commissioner Ross Garland, but Garland withdrew his name from consideration.
Acuff asked if there were any more nominations and none were made, so the Commission voted to close nominations.
Since there were four commissioners nominated to fill the four spots, the Commission voted to appoint those four to the seats by a margin of 22 to 1, with one commissioner absent from the meeting. Von Cannon cast the sole dissenting vote against approving the appointments.
On Oct. 2, Von Cannon sent a letter to Ward, who is acting chairman of the committee, challenging his removal from the committee and asking that the vote to confirm the committee appointments be reviewed.
“Due to a Hearing Problem and the inability to understand the Newly elected Commission Chairman, I — Charles D. Von Cannon, representing the 3rd District was unaware of a vote being taken to Replace me on the Financial Management Committee,” Von Cannon said in the letter. “At the time of the nominating and the vote, it was already known that the hearing and understanding of the new Chairman of the Commission existed in my case as well as other Commissioners and those in the audience.”
“I am asking for a review of this action including who nominated my replacement as well as why someone did not ask me if I wanted to continue as a member of the Financial Management Committee,” Von Cannon continued.
Acuff said the Commission will revisit the appointments to the Financial Management Committee during the Commission meeting on Monday evening.
Members of the Commission will also consider approval of changes to the county’s litter resolution which will allow the county the process of creating an environmental court to deal with nuisance properties.
The updated resolution was passed unanimously by members of the Carter County Planning Commission during their meeting in September.
“This takes our current resolution and expands, updates, and modernizes it, in my opinion,” County Attorney Josh Hardin told the Planning Commission before their vote to approve the changes.
During Monday’s meeting, commissioners will also hear several presentations. Kim Raia, an Environmental Geographic Information Systems Consultant with the County Technical Assistance Service, will speak to the group regarding the Carter County landfill. Mary Blair, with Design Sensory, will present the tourism action plan developed for the county. Carter County Tourism Coordinator Kayla Carter will speak to the commissioners regarding the tourism budget and plans for the future. Crystal Carter, the new Director/Community Impact Coordinator for the United Way of Elizabethton/Carter County, will also speak to the Commission.
Commissioners will also appoint a new constable to serve the county’s 1st District to finish the term of the late Landon Pritchard.
The Carter County Commission will meet on Monday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. in the courtroom on the second floor of the Carter County Courthouse.