Carroll County supervisors vote to dissolve Dixie Youth board after parents raise complaints

The Carroll County Board of Supervisors voted 4-2 to dissolve the local Dixie Youth board and transfer oversight of the county's Dixie youth baseball and softball program to the Carroll County Recreation Department following a series of public comments alleging mismanagement and a lack of financial transparency.

Parents and volunteer coaches told the board they had lost trust in the volunteer leadership, naming specific decisions that they said excluded players and prompted teams to leave the county. "I'm here tonight as a parent, a community member, and a volunteer youth baseball coach," Joshua Milloway said during public comment, "I'm here to raise serious concerns about the leadership of the Carroll County Dixie Youth Board." Milloway asked the board to remove Ronnie Menkins and Travis Austin from leadership roles.

Why it matters: The change moves day-to-day oversight of youth recreation from a volunteer-run franchise structure to county management, which the speakers said would improve accountability, fee transparency and equal treatment of boys and girls programs.

Board members heard several similar accounts. Brandy Miloway said parents were paying $40 per child while franchise fees to Dixie were far lower and asked, "Where is that $40 per player going?" Chenoa Payne told the board that "a standing member on that board has pending felony charges for embezzlement of the [local] booster club," and said parents and coaches had taken teams to neighboring counties to avoid what they described as dysfunctional leadership.

Supervisor John Early moved to dissolve the Dixie Youth board and place the program under the county recreation department. The motion was seconded and, after brief discussion, carried 4-2. The board recorded votes in favor from Supervisors Collins, Bryant, Horton and Early; Supervisors Moore and the Chair voted no.

Supervisor Reed Moore, who opposed the motion, said he had served on the Dixie committee since 2020 and defended the board's financial practices. "I will say that... the money was there; there was a lot of transparency of the money," Moore said, adding that some funds had been used to support teams attending state events.

What the action does: The board's vote directs county staff and the Recreation Department to assume program oversight and manage registrations, teams and finances for Dixie franchise play going forward. Board members asked county staff to work with recreation leaders to ensure a smooth transition; some expressed concern about the timing given coaches' meetings already under way.

Next steps: The board did not set a formal implementation timeline during the meeting; county staff were asked to coordinate the operational transition with Recreation Department leadership and affected coaches and families.

Provenance: Topic introduced in public comment at SEG 203 and discussion, motion and vote concluding at SEG 1542.

Speakers quoted: Joshua Milloway (parent/coach), Brandy Miloway (parent/coach), Chenoa Payne (parent/coach), Supervisor John Early (mover), Supervisor Reed Moore (opponent).