During the nominations for County Committees in the Sept. 17 meeting of the White County Commission, stark debate about the Budget Committee members caused one commissioner to leave, promising to give her resignation the following day.
Budget Committee members to come out of Nominating Committee were Becky Golden, Chris Brewington, and Derrick Hutchings. Before being able to approve these nominations, there was some debate among commissioners.
Chairman Hutchings voiced his concerns, saying, “Commissioner Golden in public court said she did not understand numbers.”
He was briefly interrupted by Commissioner Golden, who clarified, “I did not. I said numbers are not my thing.”
Chairman Hutchings continued, “You also said that you would let someone take your position.”
When Commissioner Golden said she had changed her mind on that, he continued, “Okay. Budget Committee is a very important committee to be on, if she doesn’t understand numbers. I am just voicing my concern.”
Commissioner Golden nodded and responded, “That’s what you’re allowed to do.”
In response to the debate, Commissioner T.K. Austin put forward an amendment to remove Commissioner Golden from the nominations and, instead, place Commissioner Lanny Selby in her spot.
Commissioner Brewington spoke up in Golden’s defense, saying, “As a man that has never been on the Budget Committee at all, there’s several of them that are smarter than I am. Why not vote me out?”
Commissioner Golden then stood up to leave, and said, “I’m done. I’m done. You will have my resignation tomorrow. You won. You got what you wanted.”
A member of the audience stood up to speak out against the Commission as well, but Golden told her that she was “at peace” with it, and Chairman Hutchings requested the audience member stand down during the meeting for now.
Commissioner Brewington continued his defense of Golden, saying, “You’re stacking the Budget Committee. That’s the good ole boy system right there is. You boys can sit here and look and laugh all you want to right there and say no right there, but every one of them except me is a yes-sir man. I’m the only one on that budget that is a no-sir man. Now you can call it like it is, Derrick, or whatever right there, and the rest of you can right there, but I think that is a bunch of baloney.”
The motion to amend the Budget Committee failed, so the original vote with Becky Golden on the committee continued. That vote also failed, as David Cranford, T.K. Austin, Lanny Selby, and Derrick Hutchings voted “no.” The other four members present voted “yes.” Next month, there will be a new vote for changes to the Budget Committee, but the October committee meetings will include the Budget Committee as it stands now. The Audit Committee vote was also tabled until next month, as it is affected by the issues with the Budget Committee.
In addition, the commissioners had to decide on a fourth member for the Budget Committee or at least acknowledge there needed to be a fourth member. Chairman Hutchings was already meant to be on the Budget Committee as Commissioner Chairman always is. County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson spoke up, however, and clarified that they discovered that was never actually in the bylaws.
“I have always told you all, and we have been under the assumption that the Chairman goes on the Budget Committee,” Executive Robinson said. “After looking at the bylaws before today’s meeting, our bylaws do not actually say that the Chairman has to be on the Budget Committee.”
As a result of this, the Commission had to pass an amendment to add a fourth member, not including the County Executive, to the Budget Committee. This fourth member was also not decided upon since the Budget Committee discussion had to be tabled after Commissioner Golden’s departure.
The Chairman of the White County Commission was also elected during the meeting. The commissioners were able to nominate their selections for Chairman. Derrick Hutchings was voted to remain as Chairman of the Commission.
While electing Chairman, Chris Brewington nominated Dakota White. Larry Daniels nominated previous Chairman Derrick Hutchings.
David Cranford, T.K. Austin, Derrick Hutchings, Lanny Selby, and Larry Daniels voted for Derrick Hutchings. Becky Golden, Dakota White, Chris Brewington, and Kyle Goff voted for Dakota White. Cain Rogers, Robert McCormick, Thomas Margeson, Jordan Cocke, and Roger Mason were all absent for the vote.
The other committees were approved with no discussion Commissioner White put forward the idea to pass all the other committees in a big vote - Financial Management Committee, Purchasing Committee, Steering Committee A, Steering Committee B, Solid Waste, White County Fair Board, Agricultural Committee, Lanny Selby as the White County Library Board Member, and Beer Board.
All the resolutions with these committees failed when voted on as a single packet, as Commissioner Cranford voted no. When the Commission approached the votes individually, however, all the Committee nominations passed.
The commissioners adjourned after a few audience speakers, tabling the Budget Committee and Audit Committee votes until their October meeting of the County Commission.
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