Three members of the county Health and Welfare Committee are taking a stand against an inconvenient meeting time.
Commissioner Blaine Wilcher said, “Linda Jones, Teddy Boyd and I are calling a meeting for the Health and Welfare Committee for December.”
Wilcher’s email request to county administrative assistant Carol Cantrell asked for the meeting to be scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 5 p.m. in the Dogwood Room, if available, and that representatives from the county’s Sanitation Department, Health Department and Animal Control and Adoption Center be present.
Also on the committee is Commissioner Michael Martin. While he is chairman and will be notified of the meeting request made by the three, he was not part of the decision to call the meeting.
Leading to the split between Martin and his committee members was Martin slowly pushing the meeting time earlier in the day. Before taking over as chairman two years ago, the monthly meeting was held at 6:30 p.m.
Martin has slowly pushed forward the time, as well as moving the meeting day. It is now at 3:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month instead of on a Tuesday.
Members pled with Martin during November’s meeting to reconsider his scheduling decision due to it being an inconvenience for the majority. Martin refused.
 “I have to go to work tonight and I have to get some sleep,” said Martin.
Wilcher said, “I understand that, but there is more than one person on this committee. You can choose to lead the committee that way and it be your way or the highway if you want to, but I don’t think that’s the way it should be led. I think we should have a say in the meeting times.”
According to Robert’s Rules of Order pertaining to committee meetings with under 12 members, the chairman is responsible for calling together the committee. However, if for any reason the chairman won’t call a committee meeting, two members can call the committee meeting.
“This isn’t personal, as far as I’m concerned,” said Wilcher. “I’m just tired of having to leave work and go back. The other members can’t make it most of the time either. The meetings should be set with every members’ schedule taken into consideration, not just one.”
At this time, the county has not responded to Wilcher’s request.