Special board meeting called for ousted GCRWD chairman
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By Carmen Ensinger
A controversial vote on a Chairman’s Appointment to the Greene County Rural Water District (GCRWD) has resulted in the calling of a special county board meeting for Wednesday night, July 20.
The Chairman of the Greene County Board puts names forth to the county board members to vote on those who wish to be on boards under the jurisdiction of the county board, such as the Health Department Board, the fire district boards, etcetera.
GCRWD is one such board and at the last county board meeting on July 13, County Board Chairman Mark Strang brought forth four names before the board for re-appointment for another five-year term on the GCRWD board.
The first name brought up for a vote was that of GCRWD Chairman David Longmeyer. Longmeyer has been on the board for the past 20 years.
The motion for his reappointment was made by board member Earlene Castleberry and seconded by Regan Joehl. While those two voted in favor of his reappointment, along with board member Christy Lake, board members Mark Strang, Joyce Clark and Andrea Schnelten voted no. Board member Chris Elliott abstained. Since an abstention is like not voting at all, that left the vote at 3-3, which meant that Longmeyer was off the GCRWD board.
This news did not set well with other board members or members of the GCRWD who began calling the courthouse Thursday morning demanding that Longmeyer be reinstated to the board.
As a result, a special board meeting was called for July 20 where another vote will be taken as to whether or not Longmeyer should remain on the GCRWD board.
Other board members up for reappointment to another five-year-term were as follows:
Wayne Alexander, who was appointed by a vote of 5-0 with Castleberry and Lake abstaining.
Bob Ford, who was unanimously appointed 7-0 with all board members voting yes and Josh Lawson, who was approved by a vote of 6-1 with Elliott being the only dissenting vote.
