A resolution to decrease the size of the Carter County Planning Commission failed to garner enough votes to pass the full County Commission on Monday evening.

The subject of the resolution proved controversial Monday night as questions continued regarding whether or not the resolution was properly advanced for consideration.

On Friday, Carter County Attorney Josh Hardin rendered an opinion that he did not think the resolution was properly on the agenda as it appeared the intent of the Planning Commission in approving changes to the resolution was the resolution to be brought back before the Planning Commission for final approval after the changes were made.

At the beginning of Monday’s meeting, Hardin said since giving that opinion on Friday he was made aware of more information which had altered his opinion.

“I think the motion that was made was to send it to do this body,” Hardin said.

However, he added, a statement was made just before the vote was taken that the resolution would be brought back to the Planning Commission. “I don’t know if that statement changed the way people voted or how they felt about it,” he said.

Commissioner Dr. Robert Acuff made a motion to remove the resolution from the agenda and send it back to the Planning Commission. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Al Meehan.

Carter County Mayor Leon Humphrey stepped down as chairman of the Commission and turned the gavel over to Commissioner Sonja Culler to act as chairwoman.

Humphrey said he was the one who made the motion during the Planning Commission meeting to approve the resolution and it was his intent for the resolution to then be brought to the full County Commission for approval. Humphrey played two small portions of the audio recording for the Planning Commission meeting which included his original motion, which failed to pass, as well as the request to re-vote on the matter.

“The whole concern of the Planning Commission at that time was having too many County Commissioners on that board,” Humphrey said, adding the group debated until they reached a compromise of having two County Commissioners and the presiding Chairman of the County Commission.

The vote to remove the item from the agenda failed to pass on a vote of 12-9, just one vote shy of the needed 13.

Later in the meeting, when the resolution was brought up, the debate continued and at times again got heated.

Commissioner Ronnie Trivett made a motion to approve the resolution, which was seconded by Commissioner Robert Carroll.

That vote also failed to pass the Commission by a margin of 11-10 with Humphrey having to cast a tie-breaker vote.

Commissioner Mike Hill then made a motion to send the resolution back to the Planning Commission for their approval. That motion was seconded by Commissioner Danny Ward, but it also failed by a margin of 12-8.

Commissioners Buford Peters, Ray Lyons, and Scott Simerly were absent from the meeting. Commissioner Bobbie Gouge-Dietz had to leave the meeting early before the vote on the resolution came up.