A desire to return to decorum after a November meeting that some public speakers described as “embarrassing” led to Gary Shields becoming the new board chair of the Macon County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
The board chair and vice chair positions are voted on by the five-member board every December. The board chair runs the meetings, sets the agendas and enforces order among the crowd.
County Manager Derek Roland asked for a motion for a board chair. Commissioner Danny Antoine nominated Josh Young, but the motion died for a lack of a second. At the second call for a motion, now-former Board Chair Paul Higdon said after polling the board members, they “figured it might be a good idea to change leadership every year.”
“Mr. Gary Shields expressed a great interest in serving as chairman of this board,” Higdon said, explaining he’s known Shields for years and respects him greatly. “With that being said, it’s been an honor to serve this last year and try to get these five independent thinkers on the same page. Ain’t nobody can do that, but we’re here to represent the people and I’m glad we have independent thinkers and outspoken individuals…it gives me great pride and great honor to nominate Mr. Gary Shields as chairman of the board for the coming year.”
After Commissioner John Shearl seconded, the board voted unanimously for Shields, who then switched seats with Higdon.
“I just heard a thump, two thumps, my mama and daddy turned over in their graves,” Shields said before taking his seat as board chair.
Shields then nominated Young to be vice chair for the second straight year, which was unanimously approved.
Before public comment, Shields said he’s talked individually with all the commissioners minus Antoine, who communicated by phone due to recent hip surgery. Shields reaffirmed the public comment rules: Each speaker has five minutes and the entire public comment period will be 45 minutes; topics must be about Macon County; public speakers should not expect action on their topics; speakers must address the board as a whole and not the audience or individual board members; and the board may not interact with a public commenter.
With Shields’ blessing, Sheriff Brent Holbrooks announced they would not tolerate meeting outbursts by the crowd, and offenders would have to leave.
Over the last year, public comment periods have lasted longer than 45 minutes, and board members have gotten into back-and-forth discussions with the speakers they disagree with. In contentious meetings, the crowd has shouted at commissioners over decisions and booed other public speakers they disagree with.
There were no outbursts during the Dec. 12 meeting. One public speaker hit the five-minute time limit and had to wrap up their comments.
Later in the meeting, the board unanimously reaffirmed its code of ethics, last approved in March. Shields brought it forward, saying he brought it up to remind the board to “uphold the integrity and independence of the board member’s office.” Shearl said that ethics is “pretty broad” and that all five board members must lean on each other.
The aftershock of the November meeting was addressed during last week’s meeting. During the November meeting Shearl asked Roland to resign over what he felt was being called a liar in public multiple times. At that same meeting, Young and Shearl got into a verbal sparring match over “pet projects” and allegations of inserting state and national politics into local business.
Several public speakers and a county department head addressed the November meeting. Hazel Norris said Shearl owed Roland an apology, before being reminded by Shields not to address individual board members.
After Norris’ comment, Shields spoke on his efforts to speak to each board member individually.
“One thing we concluded with, we will agree to disagree in a respectful manner,” Shields said.
Shields then invited Shearl to speak. Shearl said his kids told him it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.
“If you back me into a corner, when I come out of that corner, it’s going to be ugly. I’m not going to crumble, I’m not going to bow down, but I assure you, when I come out of that corner, it’s not going to be pleasant,” Shearl said. “And in my mind, I was backed into a corner, and that’s not where I want to be.”
Later, Macon County Veterans Administration Director Leigh Tabor-Holbrooks said it was “embarrassing” to reply to people across the state asking about that November meeting. Tabor-Holbrooks thanked Roland for his work.
Former Sheriff Robert Holland said the November meeting was embarrassing and hoped “to hear something positive from Shearl.” Holland said he worked with five county managers in his 20 years as sheriff and said no manager worked harder than Roland to support county employees. Holland said he was asked to speak by several county employees and hoped Roland got an apology.
After Holland’s comment, Shearl said he misspoke about the $25 million budget increase over the last several years, saying he meant to say the general fund balance increased. Shearl then blamed “the media” for “twisting the facts” and decried those who made judgments “without knowing what transcribed behind the scenes.”
“If representing the taxpayers and being good stewards of the county’s assets by challenging the growth of government is not our common goal, then there will obviously be division on this board,” Shearl said, once more saying that Roland had said the county is overstaffed by 50%. Once more, Roland denied making that statement before Shields ended the discussion.
“Mr. Shearl shared his thoughts…and that’ll be the last time, he said what you asked him to...he made a response, we won’t be revisiting those type of things,” Shields said.
The board set its 2024 meeting schedule with meetings being held at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month as follows: Jan. 9, Feb. 13, March 12, April 9, May 14, June 11, July 9, Aug. 13, Sept. 10, Oct. 8, Nov. 12 and Dec. 10. Meetings are held in the board room on the third floor of the Macon County Courthouse.