Discussion on new bylaws for the Rockdale County Board of Elections came to a standstill today on the issue of filling the at-large, traditionally non-partisan third position in the case of a stalemate.

The discussion was postponed until their next meeting on March 1, which will take place at 9 a.m. at 1400 Parker Road.

The three member board is made up of an appointee from the local Republican and Democratic parties. The appointed board members then choose the third member.

Among proposed changes to the bylaws, which has been in discussion for the last couple months, were new rules to address how to fill a vacancy of the third member position.

Some of the proposed language states that “If after two days of discussion, such Board Members are deadlocked and remain deadlocked at a one-to-one vote of a finalist for appointment to the board, such appointment shall be referred to the Chief Judge of the Rockdale Judicial Circuit for appointment.” The judge would choose between the two recommendations from the Democratic and Republican board members the at-large member.

Democratic board member Garvin Haynes, who is currently chairman of the board, halted voting on matters until the county attorney, who was in another meeting, could arrive to give his opinion on the changes.

The proposed tie-breaker amendment fundamentally “changes the way the party has the ability to veto a third party member,” said Haynes.

“You were trying to approve the entire document as bylaws,” said Haynes.

Republican member Lynn Brown said, “No, we were working on it and you hung up on a couple points.”

Third member Cary Bond said the changes were “Proposals. It doesn’t say it’s a document until we get to the point we have completed our work. It’s still a document in process.”

Brown pointed out that the state law does not address such a situation and that the board is authorized to write bylaws.

“We’re trying to make this tighter,” said Brown. “It’s a glitch in the state law. There is no tiebreaker when you’re deadlocked.”

Audience member Fred Whitt, a vice chairman in the Rockdale Democratic Party, said “The only recourse is to change the state law. You can’t change it by changing bylaws.”

He emphatically reiterated that his party’s executive board had not had a chance to see the draft bylaws.

“I recommend you postpone this action until my executive committee can look at this thing,” said Whitt.

“I’ve sent it to my Republican Party executive board,” said Brown. “They have signed off on it to my discretion… Speak to your representative if he is not doing his job.”

Haynes replied, “When we have a completed document, that’s when, in my opinion, you take it to the parties.”

Other changes, discussed but not voted on were to specify that board members could not participate in political campaign fundraisers or ballot issue committees.

The board members finally agreed to postpone the matter until all parties could look at the draft proposals until the next meeting on March 1.

In other Board of Elections business:

Board of Elections Supervisor Cynthia Welch also reported that there were 981 new registered voters added to the list in January in Rockdale County, 711 of which were transferred voters from other Ga. counties and 270 of which were newly registered voters. That brings the number of active and inactive registered voters in Rockdale to 55,133.

Also reported at the Board of Elections meeting was information on a proposed Georgia General Assembly House Bill  63, affecting counties that have a HOST (Homestead Option Sales Tax) or SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) for education, such as DeKalb and Rockdale counties, that would reportedly make the Board of Education seats district-specific instead of at-large, as they are currently.

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(Feb. 1, 2011) IN BRIEF: Discussion on new bylaws for the three member Rockdale County Board of Elections was postponed until the March meeting after board members came to a stalemate today on the issue of filling the at-large, traditionally non-partisan third position in the case of a stalemate and other issues.  The other two positions are appointed by the county Republican and Democratic parties.

Also reported at the Board of Elections meeting was information on a proposed Georgia General Assembly House Bill  63, affecting counties that have a HOST (Homestead Option Sales Tax) or SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) for education, such as DeKalb and Rockdale counties, that would reportedly make the Board of Education seats district-specific instead of at-large, as they are currently.

Check back for the full story at www.rockdalenews.com.