Whether the Starke County Election Board should have a fixed meeting schedule in 2018 was a topic of a heated debate during last week’s meeting.
Board President Peg Brettin spoke in favor of a fixed schedule. “I’m sure it makes it easier on all of you folks up here at the office and [Clerk] Vicki [Cooley] because that way, she knows we’re on the schedule,” Brettin said. “The news media knows that we’re on the schedule.”
But board member Harrison Fields wasn’t so sure. “I’d like to pick a day right now,” Brettin said.
“No, I don’t want to,” Fields replied. “First of all, we’ve all got our situations. I’ve got a situation with a doctor in Valparaiso I can only see two days of the month, and I can’t sit right here now and tell you what those two days are.”
Fields went on to point out that the election board hasn’t used a fixed schedule in past years. But he also didn’t want to leave it solely up to Brettin to call a meeting, either. “I got a form here someplace where you emailed Vicki saying that you are the chairman and you call the meeting,” Fields said. “We don’t have a choice then. . . . I read the code book, and that is true, but then the next paragraph says the other two members can call the meeting. Correct?”
The issue was discussed for over 10 minutes last week, without a firm decision. Instead, the election board will meet again this morning at 9:00 to decide on a 2018 schedule. Brettin went on record opposing Fields’ motion to schedule the meeting to consider a meeting schedule.
This morning’s Starke County Election Board meeting will be held in the second floor meeting room in the Starke County Courthouse.
