Holmes County schedules special joint meeting with Development Commission after dispute over repayment and staff impacts

Holmes County commissioners voted on a motion to hold a special joint meeting with the Holmes County Development Commission after a week of public comment and internal debate about repayment of county funds and whether to remove members of the development commission.

The meeting will be a special session at the development commission’s offices next Tuesday at 9 a.m.; county staff said the session must be advertised as a special meeting. Commissioner Wilmer Stafford moved to rescind his second on a prior motion concerning the development commission’s repayment and related actions; the board then voted to schedule the joint meeting to attempt to resolve outstanding communication and financial issues.

The conflict centers on a past agreement in which the development commission’s chair verbally committed to repay county funds used for a property purchase; commissioners and members of the public said that commitment was not fully honored. Resident Richard Wilsey urged the commissioners to clarify who has authority to remove appointees from the development commission and to continue discussion of possible repayment or dissolution if the development commission does not cooperate. "Who has the authority to have board members that are appointed by this board to serve on HCDC?" Wilsey asked, adding that poor communication had created an adversarial relationship.

Several commissioners said they want to try to rebuild a working relationship before taking more extreme steps. Commissioner Stafford said he wanted to "stick my hand across the table" and attempt a conciliatory meeting that could restore cooperation; he also said he would rescind his second on the prior motion and give the joint meeting a chance. Resident Angela Wilson urged repayment of all county funds and said taxpayers deserve full reimbursement.

No formal repayment plan was adopted at the meeting. Commissioners directed staff to advertise and hold the special joint meeting next Tuesday at 9 a.m. so both bodies can meet in person; county staff cautioned that, because the meeting will be a decision-making session, it must be advertised as a special session. The motion to schedule the joint meeting and the motion to rescind the prior second were recorded and carried at the meeting.

Background and next steps: the dispute traces to a prior purchase and a verbal repayment commitment by the development commission chair that several commissioners say was not fulfilled. Commissioners said the joint meeting is intended to re-open communications and, if necessary, negotiate repayment terms or other remedies. The board did not adopt any changes to appointments or to the commission’s structure at the meeting. The development commission and county staff are expected to attend the special session; the board asked staff to ensure proper public advertising and to bring any relevant documents on the prior loan and repayment commitments to the joint meeting.

Provenance (selected transcript excerpts): "I'm hearing that, the chairman of HCDC is wanting to have certain members removed off of that board... who has the authority to remove them?" (Richard Wilsey, public comment) — transcript time ~331.3–377.5. "I wanna go into an open meeting, stick my hand across the table, and shake it down." (Commissioner Wilmer Stafford) — transcript time ~2638.0–2645.4. "We need to start standing up for what's right for the taxpayers... get that money back. Not half of it. All of it." (Angela Wilson, public comment) — transcript time ~2977.0–3008.5.

Ending: Commissioners set the special joint meeting to try to resolve the repayment dispute and communication breakdown with the Holmes County Development Commission; no formal repayment agreement or personnel changes were adopted at the meeting. The joint session is scheduled for next Tuesday at 9 a.m. and will be advertised as a special meeting.