On June 9, 2011 Commissioner Steve Brown was listed on the commissioners’ meeting agenda to speak on HB240. Under HB240, the funding for infeasible or impractical SPLOST projects may be put to a referendum vote. If the public decides it does not want those projects, their funding may be used to reduce debt or property taxes.
But for that to happen, the commissioners must first agree to a referendum. Brown brought with him a 20-page PowerPoint presentation he had prepared to help communicate what he had to say. He gave copies to the other four commissioners before the meeting started.
Historically, many folks have complained about not being able to hear what was said at commissioners’ meetings. A visual presentation enables things like sentences, graphs, words and illustrations to be viewed by the entire audience on large computer screens. Its usage is commonplace in meetings to facilitate effective communications.
I have never heard of a PowerPoint presentation going beyond the scope of the subject matter covered by the speaker, or narrator. With all the screens in the commissioners’ meeting rooms and a poor PA system, it makes good sense to deliver important speeches using visual aids.
At the beginning of the meeting, all commissioners voted unanimously to approve the agenda. None of the commissioners called the PowerPoint projection pages into question. Again, Commissioner Brown had gone through the appropriate channels to secure his spot on the agenda for his topic.
When it came his time to speak, Commissioner Brown stated that his presentation was going to consist of 20 pages that would be projected to the audience. Chairman Frady then told Mr. Brown that he would not be allowed to use visual aids, because he had not submitted copies of the PowerPoint presentation two weeks prior to the meeting. Commissioner Brown replied that he had been approved to speak on HB240.
Commissioner Brown told me that he had not been required to submit copies of the March 2, 2011 presentation he made at the commissioners’ meeting when he had advised staying out of the 2012 Regional SPLOST.
Historically, commissioners have spoken on approved topics without even being on the agenda, much less submitting copies of their written presentations two weeks ahead. The only difference in this case was that it would be presented with PowerPoint.
Mr. Frady then said that any material not presented two weeks in advance could not be considered. Things went back and forth until Chairman Frady asked County Attorney Scott Bennett for a legal opinion.
Mr. Bennett consulted with County Administrator Jack Krakeel and replied that there were no rules prohibiting the presentation. But he also said that the commissioners could table the presentation if they felt they needed more time to review it.
Mr. Frady then told Commissioner Brown that he could use the PowerPoint in his presentation at the next commissioners’ meeting, but not at present. Mr. Frady added that the other commissioners who just received it would not be prepared for a discussion. Commissioner Brown replied that he never intended to conduct a discussion, and the word “discuss” had been added to the agenda without his knowledge
All this time, the audience had openly demonstrated increasing disgust, and more words were exchanged. Mr. Frady then told Commissioner Brown that he must sit down or be ejected from the proceedings by a marshal. But before the marshal took action, Mr. Brown replied that he was leaving on his own. Most of the audience (of more than 200 people) walked out.
The county spoke loudly last year when commissioners Smith and Maxwell were defeated. The only problem is that three of that group still remain, and they always vote together, some say, “to defeat those proposals of Commissioner Brown aimed at transparency of government.”
With a five-man board of commissioners, that’s a blockade that’s hard to break. Commissioners Frady, Horgan and Hearn oppose the anti-SPLOST, anti-mass transit, and anti-West Bypass platforms that elected Brown and McCarty.
There are those who would comment on this issue without having attended the meeting. But before commenting, I urge all readers who did not go to the June 9 meeting to go to the following YouTube web address, where you can see for yourself the events as they unfolded. It’s well worth your time. My gratitude to Mr. David Barlow, who provided the video — www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiGDkloCa9Y.
It’s a long and difficult road to transparency in government. The sad thing is that the need for it happened because not enough of us have taken the time to see what’s still going on. Well, here’s your chance.
It is imperative that citizens who want better quality in our local government attend the next commissioners’ meeting to be held on June 23 at 7 p.m. in the commissioners’ meeting room, 140 Stonewall Ave., Fayetteville. Come to the meeting and let your voice be heard.
Steve Smithfield
Fayette County, Ga.
