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Commissioners appoint Doug Vickers to fill 4th District seat after dispute over voting threshold
Summary
After debate about whether an election requires two-thirds of the full body or two-thirds of those present, Benton County commissioners voted to appoint Doug Vickers as 4th District commissioner and swore him into office at the Nov. 19 meeting.
The Benton County Commission appointed Doug Vickers to the vacant 4th District seat on Nov. 19, 2018, after a contested series of nominations and a legal clarification about the number of votes required to elect a replacement.
The appointment followed nominations from commissioners: Ronnie Hopper nominated Doug Vickers (seconded by Darrell Hicks), and Rachelle Hill nominated Debbie Lee Wright (seconded by Norman Frazier). Chairman Ward Plant initially said “an election takes 2/3 of the Full body to pass,” prompting disagreement among members and a request for the county attorney’s guidance.
Election Commissioner Mark Ward advised the body that the earlier change to commission size could be rescinded and suggested consulting Private Act 1939 for reference. The county attorney told the commission that the staggered terms in the prior resolution were problematic and that the body should treat the matter as governed by the present membership. After a short recess to verify the applicable voting threshold, Chairman Ward Plant stated it was “the majority of the present body,” and the commission proceeded to vote.
With the legal threshold confirmed, the commission cleared the way for a majority vote of commissioners present. The body appointed Doug Vickers to the 4th District; Vickers was sworn in during the meeting.
The appointment followed a procedural disagreement earlier in the meeting: a motion to postpone the election to the next meeting failed on a roll call that yielded an 8–8 tie, with Chairman Plant subsequently changing his vote and the commission ultimately proceeding after confirming the majority rule.
Next steps: Vickers assumed the seat immediately following his swearing-in; no further action on the 4th District seat was recorded at the meeting.
