The Marion County Board of Supervisros is now posting public notices of meetings on the front door to the office.
By Josh Mitchell/Informer Publisher
The Marion County Board of Supervisors is now posting public notices of its meetings, following an Open Meetings complaint being filed with the Mississippi Ethics Commission.
The Marion County Informer filed the complaint earlier this month after the Board of Supervisors held a meeting without posting any notice.
Board Attorney Joe Shepard has said that the Board of Supervisors is in session for 10 days each month, beginning on the first Monday, and during that time the Board can meet anytime it likes without posting notice. The Informer could not reach Shepard for comment to ask him why the Board of Supervisors is now posting notice of its meetings on the front door to the office.
County Supervisor Raymon Rowell said he does not know why meeting notices are now being posted, saying he does not think the Board is legally required to do so. Rowell said he still believes the supervisors can meet anytime during the 10 days they are in session without posting notice.
The Marion County Informer believes that the Mississippi Open Meetings Act requires the supervisors to post public notice of their meetings.
Rowell said he saw the meeting notice on the door and wondered why it was posted. He said he does not know who made the decision to start posting the notices, adding he has not seen anything from the Ethics Commission regarding the complaint.
Rowell said the Board would not want to meet in violation of the law. “We wouldn’t want to do something wrong,” he said.
If posting notices of meetings makes the citizens feel more comfortable, Rowell said he is in favor of doing so. “If people think we need to give notice, I don’t have a problem with it,” said Rowell. “I work for the people, and they pay my salary.”
Rowell added that if the people don’t like what he is doing he can be voted out of office. “I want to do what’s right,” Rowell said. “I don’t have a problem with people coming to our meetings.”
The Ethics Commission has not yet made a ruling on the Open Meetings complaint. Last week, the Informer received a letter from the Ethics Commission stating that the complaint had been received. The letter states that the next step is for the complaint to be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors which will have 14 days to file a response.
After the Ethics Commission receives the response from the Board of Supervisors or if no response is received, the complaint may be dismissed or a hearing may be set.
The letter, dated July 6, closes by saying, “Your continued cooperation in this matter will be appreciated.”
Other members of the Board of Supervisors including Lloyd Fortenberry, Randy Dyess, and Board President Calvin Newsom could not be reached for comment.
Marion Co Informer needs to get a grip!!! Is this all the news you find to report on? Some of your stuff is just ridiculous.
The law is the law. If it just happens that they are required to post notice of a meeting, then they should do so. It seems ironic that a complaint was filed, and lo and behold all of a sudden a notice is posted,even though the BOS and their attorney said they did no wrong. Also why was a member not even aware of the notice being posted, even though they are in session during this time frame? Do these people do whatever they want to do without coordinating it with other board members? Sounds like typical Marion County politics to me. If they don’t know for sure, are they just running scared and trying to pacify the public because of a formal complaint?
I don’t find it ridiculous. People should be able to take part in their goverment whether it be on a federal, state or local level. Without that opportunity, governing bodies could pass whatever ordinance or law they wanted, vote to use monetary funds in any way they pleased, etc., without the people having a voice in the matter. That is a far cry from ridiculous. It seems fairly important since such matters have an impact on my life as well as yours.
This is huge.
Josh. Any updates on what you’ve found out about the legality of the blanket meeting notices they post? Thanks.
Oh my. How stupid of them to make a sign that admits they’re violating the law. Hey tea baggers— How’s about some of ya’ll go there at 2 a.m. and see if they’re really meeting, then rally ’round the flag pole in a demonstration!!!
Hey FKAC:
Do you know what the term “teabagger” means?
Why would you want to call someone such a vile and filthy word because of a political affiliation?
Because Formerly is weighing someone else’s eggs in their own basket. Apparently lacking any self respect of their own they must find someone else to disparage. A good time to remember the old admonition: ” The easiest way to be rid of a fool is to ignore them.” Disparaging others with their cutting edge wit and wisdom is the only real thrill in their miserable existence. 111 days to Nov. 2. God Bless the Republic.
No. I don’t know what it means. So sorry if I offended you. I’ll go back to “tea party people.”
Now a question for you. Will transparency and what the county is doing with the meeting notices be something on which the local group will speak? Thanks.
Hey Lucy!! ‘Splain “tebaggin’” to formerly. I figured as an intellectual they would know by now. Wrong.
Good one, jughead.
No splainin or demonstration or anything else needed anymore! Boy do I feel naive right now. Please see below the definition of teabagger with which I’m most familiar. That said, I think I’ll keep calling ya’ll teabaggers and trust that you know what I mean.
all fine and dandy but was the paper sign made by the lowest bidder?
I don’t know why you say get a grip. This is nothing but a follow up to a previous story…Thanks for keeping us up to date.
Oh my. I see how my use of tea baggers might have offended some people who immediately think of the definition that includes a sexual act.
I didn’t mean that one. Honestly. I meant this one:a conservative activist who is so ignorant that they protest against tax cuts (that benefit them) by throwing tea into a river.
Thanks, pal, for enlightening me about the other definition of tea bagger! Appriciate it.
Democrat Progressive Socialist liberals the MSM and PBS hacks were the ones who brought the “sexual” connotation to describing the tea party. Those wonderful intellectual spokes- persons like Garafalo, Olberman, Mathews, O’ Donnell and their ilk, you know, your tv coverage of the issues. Apparently race and sexual orentation are your measures of right or wrong or patriotism. Now where are these imaginary “tax cuts” you are referring to? I’ll bet they are in next years trillion dollar a year deficit handed down from the Mount. They’ll go nicely with the trillion dollar deficit ol’ ears has run up this past year. It’s all Bush’s fault… Not Dodd or Frank and company… You’d better die now and save the tax burden on your kids next year when the “death tax” nears the 50% mark.;) Have a nice day, God Bless the Republic.
Citizen 1961 brought it up here, or I wouldn’t have known about the sexual connotation. Again, I just thought teabaggers were a bunch of ignorant, uninformed people who gripe about broad issues, but forget to take a stand on hyperlocal, real live problems. Now, that said, will the local tea party people be addressing that little problem with meeting notices? Anyone know? Anyone care? This has nothing to do with race or sexual preference.
FKAC
You should know the connotations of a word you use in describing a group of people before you use it.
Hey citizen1961. I thanked you for turning me on to the sexual connation of the word in question. What more do you want? You don’t have to go all nuts over this!
Now, what are ya’ll going to do about this little meeting notice problem? Will the teabaggers (AKA ignorant people who oppose tax cuts that actually benefit them…) be speaking out on this at future events. If so, call me one of ya’ll because I’ll be there.
If you’re going to use the time to bash Washington folks and call our president “ears” and all, I’ll pass.
Great job JOSH. It’s about time the public knows what’s going on.