The Carter County commission debated a recent resolution to reduce the size of the Planning Commission from 12 to nine during their monthly meeting Monday.

Patty Woodby said the resolution originated in 2017 and was revived during December’s Nominating Committee meeting.

This is not the first time Planning’s size has changed, with the original Private Act in 1972 requiring “no less than seven and no greater than 12,” and resolutions in 2000 and 2003 setting the number to 12.

Mike Hill said he reached out to the State comptroller’s office, who told him the decision was “kind of out of sequence.”

“We, on the Rules and Bylaws committee, have begun to look into the process of redistricting and the potential downsizing of the county commission,” Hill said.

He said they told him such a redistricting would force secondary and tertiary committees to restructure anyway, thus making Planning go through that effort all over again.

“I think it is rather inefficient,” he said.

Charles Von Cannon disagreed, saying his call to the state provided the opposite response.

“If you are not affecting the population in the eight districts, there is no reinforcement necessary for 2020, and that is the census,” Von Cannon said.

With the differing answers from the state, the commission turned to attorney Josh Hardin, who said he felt the two discussions were unrelated.

New members of Planning submit their applications to the Nominating Committee, who then approves them, and then the full commission later votes in their selection.

The new resolution does not change this process.

“Any positions on the planning commission that are currently vacant or become vacant shall be eliminated until the total membership of nine (9) is reached,” the resolution reads. “[…] No current active member’s term shall be shortened.”

Further, no more than two county commissioners can serve on Planning, one of whom must be the county commission chairman, currently Ray Lyons. With the reduction, each district will have one representative on Planning.

Robert Acuff was against the resolution.

“It very much concerns me,” Acuff said.

He said the resolution “smacks at harassment and vindictment,” and quoted News Channel 5’s coverage of the resolution earlier that day, pointing to Mark Blevins calling the Planning Commission a “kangaroo court.”

Aaron Frazier said the resolution will put the power of the Planning commission more in the people’s hands as opposed to the commissioners’.

“At any point in time if we have the opportunity to remove government from the lives of people, we should take it,” Frazier said. “This will only be affecting county commissioners on the Planning Commission, so we will be reducing the number of commissioners there.”

He said this will help put more people on the Planning commission over time.

“Nobody loses their positions today or tomorrow,” he said. “It is as those positions rotate off.”

Of the remaining eight members of Planning, each one will represent a particular school district. Non-commissioner terms last four years.

Planning Director Chris Schuettler said he was overall fine with the resolution.

“As for the removal of commissioners, I have no problem with it,” Schuettler said. “We believe in compliance. It is no problem.”

He echoed Hill’s concerns, however, saying the decision might be premature due to the upcoming redistricting.

“I am here for the citizenship of this county,” he said. “It is a shame they are trying to make an unpolitical board political.”

The resolution, which required a two-thirds majority, barely passed at 16-7-1.

Those in favor included Mark Blevins, Nancy Brown, Patty Woodby, Mark Tester, Charles Von Cannon, Isaiah Grindstaff, Jerry Proffitt, Ross Garland, Layla Ward, Randall Jenkins, Gary Bailey, Travis Hill, Ray Lyons, Aaron Frazier, Robin McKamey and David Miller. Those voting against included Robert Acuff, Mike Hill, Brad Johnson, Austin Jaynes, Ginger Holdren, Sonja Culler and Kelly Collins. Willie Campbell abstained.

The resolution went into effect immediately after the vote.

Currently, five county commissioners serve on Planning. Of those five, Acuff, Jenkins, Culler and Collins will leave Planning when their terms end next fall, bringing the total down to seven, leaving two seats open, only one of which can be another county commissioner. Lyons’ status on Planning will depend on his reappointment as county commission chairman next fall.