Madison County hires lobbyist Barbara Blackmon
A second county lobbyist was hired by the Board of Supervisors on Monday at $75,000 annually pending review of the contract by the county attorney.
Supervisors voted 4-1 to hire former state Sen. and Canton attorney Barbara Blackmon as a second lobbyist with the cost to be shared by the Madison County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA).
The hire was not on the agenda, but District 2 Supervisor Tim Johnson made the motion under “new business,” drawing objections from District 3 Supervisor D.I. Smith who said this was the first he had heard of it.
Following the the vote, County Attorney Eric Hamer said he needed to review the contract before Blackmon was officially hired, requiring the board to rescind their original vote and approve a new motion pending Hamer’s approval.
Smith said he voted against hiring a second lobbyist because no details were provided beforehand. He also questioned the need for an additional lobbyist in the county.
“I think its a breach of responsibility to vote for something that you have never seen a contract or agenda for,” Smith said. “That is something that should have been presented to all members of the board. There were no performance measures, goals or termination clause included.”
Madison County Journal
7/23/9
