Jackson County Legislature declines to advance courtesy support for Murray Woodard appointment

The Jackson County Legislature considered a resolution expressing support for Murray Woodard II as the new director of the county’s COMBAT program but did not advance it on an initial vote after several members raised procedural concerns and asked for more vetting.

Legislator Charlie Franklin, who said he served with a committee that reviewed applicants, told colleagues he believed Woodard was the strongest candidate among applicants. Several legislators said they wanted a chance to meet Woodard before casting a supportive vote. One legislator said some prior statements by Woodard to that member were “challenging” and suggested discussing them in closed session before supporting a courtesy resolution.

Whitney Miller of the County Counselor’s office clarified on the record that the proposed resolution would be purely a courtesy and nonbinding if adopted; it would not constitute a formal appointment or disapproval. The first roll call on the motion recorded 3 yes and 6 no votes, which prevented the measure from carrying. After further discussion and clarification about its nonbinding nature there was additional roll-call activity, but the record shows the initial courtesy support did not have the required support to pass in its first vote.

Legislators who opposed advancing the measure cited process concerns, the desire for committee members to meet nominees and uncertainty about whether the COMBAT commission had been involved in the selection process. Counsel said the nomination process was led by the prosecutor’s office and that the legislature’s role in a courtesy resolution is not binding.

Outcome: the courtesy resolution did not pass on its initial roll call; counsel characterized any subsequent adoption as an expression of support only, not an appointment.