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Citizens press Forsyth County commissioners for evening meetings; board split 3–3 on adding dates
Summary
Community groups and residents urged the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners to move more public meetings to evening hours to increase participation. Commissioners deadlocked 3–3 on a motion to add five 6 p.m. meetings and ultimately kept the current Monday/Thursday schedule by a separate 5–1 vote.
Residents and civic groups called on the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners on March 13 to hold more meetings in the evening so working people can attend, but the board was evenly split on a specific motion to add five evening meetings.
Why it matters: Several speakers — including neighborhood associations, the Forsyth County Association of Educators and community organizers — told commissioners that the current 2 p.m. meeting schedule prevents teachers, parents, employees and others from attending. They urged the commissioners to move more meetings to 6 p.m. to boost transparency and public input.
What speakers said: Marcy West, representing Camel City United Indivisible, said evening meetings are a common local-government practice and help reach working constituents. "Public meetings are meant for the public," West said. Carolyn Highsmith of the Winston-Salem Neighborhood Alliance said the 2 p.m. change created a barrier for participation and asked the board to start public meetings at 6 p.m. Trevonia Brown Gaither, a member of the Winston‑Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education, and Kwame Kia Shavers, founder of Pink Vote, also urged evening meetings so more constituents can attend.
Commissioner action: Commissioner Bessie moved to amend the 2025 schedule by shifting the start time of five scheduled meetings — April 24, June 19, Aug. 14, Oct. 9 and Nov. 6 — from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The motion was seconded by Commissioners McDaniel and Woodbury. The motion resulted in a 3–3 tie and failed.
Board retained current schedule: After the tie, a separate motion to continue the board’s current Monday briefing / Thursday meeting skip-a-week schedule passed 5–1, preserving the 2 p.m. meeting times for most sessions. The board also voted unanimously to retain the bimonthly morning (10 a.m.) discussion sessions.
Why the split: Commissioners and presenters noted trade-offs between in-person attendance and accessibility by streaming, email and phone. Supporters of evening meetings cited research and experience showing higher attendance at night; opponents cited the practicality of staff schedules, existing online access, and the board’s longstanding practice. Chair C. Martin said he reads constituent emails regularly and has used streamed briefings to gather input; Commissioner Bessie said she had previously proposed moving meetings to evenings and asked colleagues to give the change a try.
Next steps: The motion could be revisited at a future meeting; the board said it would consider the issue again when the full seven-member body is present.
