Chair opens first of three Clay County public hearings on charter salary amendment

The Chair opened the first of three public hearings on a proposed amendment to the Clay County Charter, section 2.2.C, which addresses legislative branch salaries and other compensation.

The meeting began at 5:00 p.m. with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a roll call that established a quorum. The Chair asked for a motion to approve the March 16, 2026 minutes; after a motion and a second, the Chair said the motion carried and the minutes were approved.

The Chair then opened the public comment portion of the meeting and specifically opened a hearing on proposed revisions to Charter section 2.2.C. "So, today is the first of those three," the Chair said, describing the sequence of public hearings required by the charter process. The Chair emphasized that the hearings give the public an opportunity to speak about the proposed amendment.

No members of the public came forward to speak. After a short wait, the Chair closed public comment and returned the meeting to member business.

The committee reviewed a proposed ballot wording appearing on page 13 of the meeting packet. Committee member Glenn Taylor asked, "Do we have to vote for it to approve it?" The Chair responded that the committee was past the approval vote and that the session was a public hearing on the proposal rather than the final approval step.

The committee also approved an updated topic list (referenced on page 11 of the packet) by motion and voice vote.

The Chair announced two remaining public hearings on the charter amendment: May 4 and May 18, both scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m., and invited community members to attend and comment. A motion to adjourn was made and seconded, and the Chair declared the meeting adjourned.

The committee did not take any final votes on the charter amendment during this session; recorders noted the meeting was limited to public hearings and that any final action would occur at a later, separate meeting stage.