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Tri-County Electric Customers Vote Overwhelming 'Yes' to Remove Remaining Board Members

Three former board members resigned in May. Customers voted Saturday to remove the remaining six members of the board.

Columbia, SC (WLTX) - — More than 1,300 people showed up to vote at a Tri-County Electric Cooperative meeting to decide whether or not to remove board members.

Three former board members resigned in May. Customers voted overwhelmingly Saturday to remove the remaining six members of the board.

Results ended with 1,452 "yes" votes and 30 "no" votes. An election for new board members is expected in November.

This has been an ongoing process as members, who are customers of Tri-County, grew concerned over allegations of financial mistreatment by the board.

An upset co-op member spoke Saturday morning saying, “Many of y'all know the board members and would say 'Oh they're just common people from the community here and there.' Well, maybe we just need some new common people" — which drew cheers from the crowd.

“We have a responsibility to our community, to our families, to our children, to hold our elected leaders and representatives accountable for their actions,” said another member to even more cheers.

And those were just a few people that showed up to vote at Tri-County Electric Cooperative's property for the meeting.

The co-op members, which are made up of the company's customers in six Midlands counties, were meeting to determine whether to vote out the remaining six board members.

Co-op CEO Chad Lowder says issues first started at the last annual meeting, when co-op members became concerned over voting results, and then it grew from there.

“Questions have arisen as far as compensation and everything else, and just how the board meetings have been going, members have just not been happy," Lowder said after the meeting.

Concerns over how often the board was meeting and collecting payments for those meetings led to widespread criticism Saturday and in recent weeks.

Related: Dozens Show Up for Tri-County Electric Meeting Except The Board

Related: Irate, Angry Tri-County Electric Customers Demand Resignations From Board Members

Customers made it clear they weren’t happy as they were asked to vote to remove the board.

“I'm going to vote yes to remove the board because of the actions they have done,” said Helen Bradley, a Richland County customer for 37 years.

Debbie Joyner, a 35-year-old Calhoun County customer, felt so strongly about the meeting that she spent more than an hour of her birthday Saturday to listen to speakers and then cast her vote.

“I voted yes for both, because I want that form changed and I want them gone,” Joyner said.

She also had some advice for any new board members in the co-op's future.

“Be honest, don't get sticky fingers, don't try to get elaborate, stay within your community,” Joyner said.

Saturday’s vote is not just about board members, there is also a ballot item to approve new bylaws.

The new bylaws would cap how much compensation board members can collect in a year for meetings and would make it easier for members to run for the board. according to Lowder.

It also cleaned up other language in the company’s bylaws, which have existed since the 1940s.

The bylaws also passed with a strong majority.

Co-op members interested in running for one of the now 9 vacant board seats would need to visit Tri-County's office in Calhoun County on Friday, August 24.

The election for new board members will take place on Saturday, November 17.

In the meantime, the co-op's finances will be overseen monthly by an independent auditor, according to Lowder.

During the first half of the meeting, representatives from the co-op asked any current board members, or attorneys on their behalf, if they wanted to address the crowd or accusations against them . No one came forward or spoke on their behalf at any point during the meeting.

Tri-County representatives asked three times if anyone was present to represent the current board. When no one came forward to speak for the board, closing that portion of the meeting, the crowd cheered.

Members will vote on November 17 to elect a new board. Those interested in being on the board must meet the written qualifications listed in the bylaws and submit an application with the signatures of 50 members. The deadline is September 24.

For the list of qualifications and the application process, CLICK HERE.

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