Brenda Hutchinson joins county commission
Morgan County Commissioner Brenda Hutchinson took her oath of office before the Tuesday, January 2 organizational meeting of the Morgan County Commission.
Hutchinson was voted in as county commissioner in the November election. She takes the post that was held by former Morgan County Commissioner Bob Ford.
Morgan County Commissioner Glen Stotler was reelected as commission president at the meeting. The commission also set their meeting dates, holiday schedule and committee appointments for 2007.
Committee appointments
Stotler will serve on the Morgan County Emergency Services Council, the Region 9 Planning and Development Council, the Morgan County Fire Board, the Employee Wages and Benefit Board, the Park Advisory and Planning Board and the Parks and Recreation Board.
Swaim will sit on the Warm Springs Run Watershed Committee, the County Extension Service Committee, the Morgan County Planning Commission, the War Memorial Hospital Board and the Rural Water Committee.
Hutchinson is assigned to the Morgan County Economic Development Authority, the Chamber of Commerce, the Farmland Preservation Board, the 911 Advisory Board and the Senior Life Board.
Other business
Former Delegate Charles Trump was present to help set up a meeting with the commissioners and legislators about funding to rebuild the Morgan County Courthouse.
The Morgan County Commission also reviewed the architectural survey of the existing courthouse structure with Mike Crawford of Berkeley Land Surveys.
Stotler is now in his 23rd year as county commissioner. He has served most of those years as county commission president. Swaim began his 10th year as county commissioner in August.
Some advice
Both longtime commissioners had some advice for Hutchinson on her first day of office.
"I vote my conscience. Anytime you go against it, you'll be sorry," said Swaim.
Swaim also advised against letting groups of 20 to 30 people influence your vote.
"You have to represent all the people of Morgan County," he said.
"It's about working together and doing what's in the best interest of Morgan County. Then we've done our job," Stotler said.
"We all need to work for the county. It's not about us. It's about the people who elected us," said Hutchinson.
Next meeting
The Morgan County Commission will meet next on Friday, January 19 at 9:30 a.m.
