McGalliard addresses question from meeting

To the editor:

I would like to clarify something that appeared in your newspaper.

The Jay County Development Corporation recently had a meeting that I did not attend. My board appointment with this corporation ended on Dec. 31.

Commissioner Chad Aker conveyed to me that he was planning on attending this meeting. 

Yes, I know this was a public meeting. The issue is that there are ongoing contract negotiations with this organization. Contract discussions were on the agenda. 

If two commissioners are in the same meeting, that constitutes a quorum. Anything that we would have agreed to at that meeting could possibly be legally binding.

Our county attorney has advised us numerous times to avoid this kind of situation. Being involved with contract discussions without the third commissioner or our county attorney present would have been a very bad decision on my part.

I think that it is only right for you to publish my response in your newspaper so that your readers will have a better understanding of these issues.

Best regards,

Brian R. McGalliard

Jay County Commissioner