A member of the Yazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau board said he is coming forward with his concerns over the council’s meeting and voting procedures.
Danny Neely, a member of the CVB Board of Directors, said he is willing to work with the five-member board. But he is against online voting and meeting cancelations, which he said is unprofessional and “illegal.”
“It’s really not what we did, but it’s how we done it,” Neely said, during the recent CVB board meeting.
Neely said he is against canceling board meetings when a quorum is in place to conduct normal business. He said he is referring to the July board meeting, which was canceled because some members were going out of town. He said three members were available to take any actions, and the meeting should have continued on schedule.
“There are five board members,” Neely said. “The meeting was canceled, and all we know is it’s canceled with no proper notice. According to our bylaws, if the meeting is canceled, we should be given proper notification.”
Neely said the three members who would have attended the meeting should have been able to still conduct business.
“If neither the president or vice president is present, some of the other members should call the meeting to order,” he said. “If we have a quorum, then we should carry the meeting on…or pick up the phone and call. It is a matter of professional courtesy for each member of this board.”
According to the CVB bylaws, “three members at any regular or special meetings will constitute a quorum authorized to transact Bureau’s business and to take actions approved by the majority vote of those present.”
Neely also said the meeting cancelation was related to board members via email.
“We are speaking for one another without our permission,” he continued. “For example, we are canceling meetings because we are going out of town or on vacations.”
At the recent CVB meeting, the board also tabled the discussion of allowing online voting among its members. But Neely said the suggestion shouldn’t even be tabled or discussed.
“We really don’t need to bring it back up,” Neely said. “Voting by email is illegal. You cannot vote by your personal cell phone conducting government business.”
“We follow the rules sometimes, and sometimes we do not,” Neely added, “As leaders, we set an example for the people who come in here.”
