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Appointments approved; public commenter alleges favoritism in Planning & Zoning selection
Summary
The board filled seats on the Historic Preservation and Planning & Zoning advisory boards; John Simmons and Harley Adams Valier were named to the HPC and John Comer was appointed to Planning & Zoning in a 4-1 vote. Public commenter Renee Calhoun accused commissioners of favoring connected applicants over more qualified candidates.
The Jones County Board of Commissioners took multiple board-appointment votes March 17 and faced public criticism afterward.
The board appointed Mr. John Simmons to the Historic Preservation Commission and later approved a nomination for Harley Adams Valier to another HPC seat; a recusal was recorded during that sequence. ‘‘I appoint Mr. John Simmons to the HPC board,’’ a commissioner said, and the board approved the nomination by voice vote.
The board also appointed Mr. John Comer to the Planning & Zoning Board. Commissioners confirmed the single vacancy and voted; a vote tally was recorded as 4-1 in favor of Comer. Several speakers in the meeting referenced David Pope as a competing applicant who had earlier interviewed but was not chosen.
During the public-comment period, Renee Calhoun accused commissioners of selecting ‘‘a friend, a political ally, or a familiar insider’’ over a more qualified candidate and asked the board to explain on the record why Mr. Comer was chosen instead of Mr. Pope. ‘‘When this board appoints individuals to serve on these boards and committees, these appointments matter,’’ Calhoun said, arguing that appointments influence land use, economic development and public trust.
The county attorney responded that his legal obligation is to the board as his client and that client privilege limits what he will discuss publicly. No additional formal explanation of the appointment criteria was recorded in the public transcript.
Camped within the meeting’s debate was a separate proposal to create an unpaid, county-wide historic liaison and appoint Earline Hamilton to that role in recognition of her preservation expertise. Commissioner Kitchens proposed the liaison as a volunteer position to connect boards and projects, while other commissioners said the county’s existing appointment policies and the board’s prior votes complicated creating a new position immediately; no final vote to create the liaison is recorded in the transcript.
The board’s appointments and the public accusation of cronyism were the primary points of contention during the session. The board moved on to other agenda items after the public comments and did not record an extended policy response on criteria for future appointments.
