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In a grueling four-hour meeting held Nov. 13, the Lowndes County Commission established the rules by which it will conduct business for the next two years. Alongside establishing the date and time for meetings, the commission also voted to overturn the supermajority voting rule established during its Oct. 14 meeting. 

After a swearing-in ceremony and reception for newly installed commissioners, business began with electing Charlie King, Jr. as chairman and Dickson Farrior as vice chairman, both approved by unanimous vote. Then Commissioner Fletcher Hayes made a motion to reestablish the rules and procedures of commissioners’ court that existed on June 1.

Commissioners and County Attorney Prince Chestnut discussed what the motion would mean if passed and whether the commission could deal with the motion as presented or if the group must wait for discussion during the Commissioners’ Concerns portion of the agenda.

“Let’s go down the road,” King said. “We’ve got an agenda.”

Farrior disagreed, pointing out that the newly elected commission’s first order of business was to conduct an organizational meeting to establish rules for conducting business. Commissioner Robert Harris argued that an organizational meeting was not scheduled on the agenda.

“Are we going to flex the rules for certain reasons,” Harris asked. “You have to not cherry pick the rules as you want them to be.”

Chestnut reminded commissioners that an organizational meeting was required.

“You absolutely have to deal with how you’re going to meet and those things,” Chestnut said. “That has to be done today, regardless.”

A motion by Farrior, seconded by Commissioner Joseph Barganier, passed with a 3-2 vote to move forward with an organizational meeting. Farrior, Barganier and Hayes approved the motion. Harris and King voted against it. As the meeting continued, Farrior informed Hayes the prior motion addressing procedures of the court could continue.

“I understand what you’re doing, what you want him to do,” Harris told Farrior. “You can do this yourself. Stop trying to push people to do something that you don’t want to do.”

Hayes requested an opportunity to speak and said, “Don’t nobody push me to do anything. I’m a grown man, [I’ve] got my own mind. I will listen to each and every one of you, but my mind is my mind. 

“I move to reestablish the rules and procedures of commissioners court that existed as of June 1, 2024.”

Hayes clarified his motion, explaining he wanted commissioners to return to the method of utilizing a majority vote for approving motions. Harris suggested the group go into executive session to discuss the legal implications of such a measure, but Chestnut advised he saw no problem with Hayes’ motion.

The motion, once put to a vote, was passed 4-1 with Hayes, Barganier, Farrior and King supporting the measure and Harris in opposition.

Next, Hayes clarified his intention with a motion to move back to approvals using a majority vote. Harris argued that the supermajority rule previously established required a supermajority vote to be undone. Chestnut, however, pointed out that during an organizational meeting the commission would set the rules by which it would conduct business and as such could overturn the supermajority rule with a majority vote.

“By this being an organizational [meeting] it’s like a new commission,” Chestnut said. “If ya’ll want to get assurances, then I would say go for the Attorney General’s opinion. But my advice is that, because it’s organizational, it’s legal.”

Introduced by Hayes and seconded by Farrior, the motion passed 3-2. Hayes, Barganier and Farrior voted yes. Harris and King voted no.

Next, Hayes submitted a motion to approve the original budget introduced by County Administrator Jacquelyn Thomas before reductions. Commissioners debated the motion but did not bring it to a vote.

After requesting that commissioners address each other with courtesy, Hayes submitted a motion to allow Thomas to administer the day-to-day operations of the commission office.

“I sit back and I’ve sat out there in the audience and I listen, I see, and I pay attention,” Hayes said. “[There’s] a lot of personal things [going on] in this commission, so [we’ve] got to straighten that out.” 

The motion passed, 4-0, with approval from all commissioners except Harris, who abstained from voting.