(Hillsdale) The Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners has voted to add two members to the Hillsdale County Road Commission…
At Tuesday’s regular meeting, the commissioners voted 3-2 to expand the Road c
Commission from three members to five members…
Supporters of the expansion said it is necessary for the efficiency of the organization…
They said communication between any two members of the board constitutes a quorum and is a violation of the open meetings act…
Doug Ingles, Brad Benzing and Brent Leininger voted in support of expanding the Road Commission…
Commissioners Mark Wiley and Kathy Schmitt were opposed to the expansion, calling it unnecessary–as the road board has been a three-member institution for a century…
Wiley said the board has historically communicated through a secretary, which is not a violation…
He said adding two members will not lead to improved county roads…
The expansion will cost an estimated $50,000–money that Wiley said could go toward road building material or hiring a new Road Commission employee…
The two new positions will be posted to the county website in November…
Officials are expected to appoint the new Road Commission members at the first Board of Commissioners meeting in January…
The positions will be for a two-year term–which will be up for election in 2024..