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Items You Need to Know About Your Cooperative's Annual Meeting

>> Tri-County EMC's 66th Annual Meeting will take place Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:00 p.m. at Tri-County EMC in Gray.

Please take note of these key issues regarding Annual Meeting. We invite you to review the answers to the most common questions about your participation in the election of directors and other business that may take place.

 "I would like to participate in the Annual Meeting, but I cannot attend the meeting on October 20."  This is not an issue. You can participate from home through mail balloting. You will receive an Annual Meeting package in September that features the director candidates and a ballot.
 
"I am thinking of running for  director. How do I qualify?"  Directors are members of the cooperative. "No person shall be eligible to become a director of the Cooperative who is not a member for a minimum period of two (2) years prior to the election of directors. No person shall be eligible for election thereto whose age, at the time of such election is less than twenty-one (21) years of age. No person shall be eligible to become or remain a director of, or to hold any other position of trust in, the Cooperative who is in any way employed by or financially interested in a competing enterprise, or a business selling electric energy or supplies to the Ccooperative."
(Bylaws, Section 4.02. Qualifications.)
 
"What steps are involved in electing directors?" The Nominating Committee nominates candidates. However, "any one hundred (100) or more members of the Cooperative, acting together over their signatures not less than ninety (90) days prior to the meeting, may make additional nominations ..." (Bylaws, Section 4.06. Nominations.)     

"At each annual meeting of the members, directors shall be elected by secret ballot, including those cast by mail, by the members ... " (You can mail your ballot or deliver it in person the day of the Annual Meeting.) " ... provided, that, when the number of nominees per district does not exceed the number of directors to be elected from or for a particular Directorate District, and if there is no objection, balloting may be dispensed within respect of that election. Directors shall be elected  by a majority vote of the members present and voting including those votes cast by mail." (Bylaws, Section 4.03. Election.)

 "How is the Nominating Committee elected?"  The Nominating Committee is elected at Annual Meeting to serve for the year following their election. The Committee meets at least ninety (90) days before the Annual Meeting. "The Committee shall prepare and post at the principal office of the Cooperative at least thirty (30) days before the meeting, a list of nominations for directors to be elected ... " (Bylaws, Section 4.06) 

Your Annual Meeting packet should arrive in September. It will include instructions on mail balloting and information on this year's meeting. For additional information, call (478) 986-8126 or 1-866-254-8100, ext. 8126. <<

Statement of Nondiscrimination Tri-County EMC is the recipient of Federal financial assistance from the Rural Utilities Service, as an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is subject to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which provide that no person in the United States on the basis of race, color, national origin, age or handicap shall be excluded from participation in, admission or access to, denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any of this organization's programs or activities. The person responsible for coordinating this organization's nondiscrimination compliance efforts is C. Hill Bentley, CEO.  Any individual, or specific class of individuals, who feels that this organization has subjected them to discrimination, may obtain further information about the statutes and regulations listed above from and/or file a written complaint with this organization; or the Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.  20250. Complaints must be filed within 180 days after the alleged discrimination. Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent possible.