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Commissioners appoint Rex V. Champion chair of Trumbull County Combined Water District advisory panel after debate over scope and rules
Summary
The Trumbull County Board of Commissioners voted to appoint township trustee Rex V. Champion as chair of the newly formed Combined Water District Advisory Panel for a one-year term, after commissioners debated the panel’s remit, meeting schedule and bylaws.
The Trumbull County Board of Commissioners voted to appoint Rex V. Champion, a township trustee, as chairperson of the Trumbull County Combined Water District Advisory Panel for a one-year term beginning May 1, 2025 and ending April 30, 2026.
The panel, formed at earlier meetings, is intended to gather representatives from participating townships that are water customers to advise the board on water-district matters, including rates and operations. Commissioners said the panel will meet at least quarterly and should coordinate its schedule with the county sanitary engineer.
Commissioners pressed for clearer parameters and bylaws before the panel begins work. Several members said they want the panel to report back with recommendations rather than to act as a separate governing body. One commissioner said more time was needed to set terms and duties; commissioners also discussed coordinating meeting schedules with the sanitary engineer so the panel’s work would complement existing department reporting.
The board recorded the vote on the appointment as affirmative. The roll call recorded the approving votes of Commissioners Mr. Bernard and Denny Malloy; Rick Hernandez, who presided, also recorded his vote in the affirmative and the appointment passed.
The action names a single chairperson and requests participating townships to appoint one member each to the panel. Commissioners discussed giving the panel bylaws, a scope of duties (reviewing budgets, rate proposals, staffing questions and operational performance), and a work plan to bring recommendations back to the board. Commissioners said the panel should not be left without direction.
The board did not adopt additional bylaws during the meeting; commissioners directed that the panel and the sanitary engineer coordinate on scheduling and that the board establish more detailed parameters at a later meeting.
The advisory panel chair will serve a one-year term; the board will consider the appointment of other panel members at a future meeting and may set the panel’s operating rules after a first organizational meeting.
