Marion County council reverses recent board appointment after debate over process and information

Marion County Council voted to reinstate Yolanda Richardson to a seat on the PDCA board after an extended exchange about whether the council had the information it needed when it removed a prior member.

The move followed a lengthy discussion about an appointment made at the council’s previous meeting and legal guidance from the county attorney on what types of council actions require additional procedural protections. Council members debated whether the earlier action involved misinformation or a ministerial appointment that the council could lawfully change.

Council attention focused on whether Lewis Perkins, who the record shows had served on the board since 2016, was properly unseated when the council appointed Richardson. A council member who spoke at length said they had circulated an email and supporting documents about how the board is appointed under the grant that funds it and disagreed with suggestions made in the prior meeting that they had misled the council. That council member also said they had urged colleagues to seek verification from the Office of Economic Opportunity.

The county attorney told the council that its actions fall into different categories and that “you have other actions like board commitments, board appointments, committee appointments that are somewhat ministerial.” He added, “If there was some lack of information or if there was some misinformation ... that called into question the action you have taken ... you have the ability to change that based on that information.”

After discussion, Councilman Joe moved to reinstate Yolanda Richardson to the PDCA board; the motion was seconded and carried. The transcript does not record a roll-call vote or named vote tally in the meeting minutes provided.

The council also handled several routine items and local reports during the meeting. Administrative staff reported February landfill revenue of $20,748 and expenses of $22,407; operations staff said Zion Park equipment had been repaired by West Pittman; and the county’s animal-shelter support group, Support Our Shelter, reported spending $3,993.58 in February on beds, slip leads, metal plates, cabinets, clipboards and food/water dishes. The county administrator also announced that a burn ban for the county has been lifted and publicized an upcoming March 13 community meeting on solar projects hosted by Carolina Renewable Energy Development (DASH) with North Carolina State University and South Carolina State University.

Council business included a first reading of Ordinance 2025-01 authorizing the conveyance of Marion County parcel 055-00-00-008-000 (6.63 acres off Lipscomb Road) to Robert V. Grama; the speaker introducing that item said no discussion was necessary and read the title for first reading. The council also approved minutes from the Feb. 27 meeting, approved a personnel contract and announced two committee appointments: Jamique Friesen to the planning commission and William (last name not specified) to the zoning commission. The meeting record provided does not include district or full roll-call vote tallies for those last actions.

The controversy over the PDCA appointment centered on differing recollections and interpretations of whether the prior action had been fully understood by council members when it occurred and whether the council had received complete information about how the board’s seats are filled under the federal grant that supports it. Council members were urged during the discussion to consult the Office of Economic Opportunity for an independent determination of the governing requirements referenced during the debate.

The council did not adopt or amend any ordinances at second or third reading during this session; the ordinance noted above was read for the first time only.