The Ellettsville Town Council chose three people to represent it on a committee overseeing a proposed reorganization with Richland Township.
Town Manager Mike Farmer presented a list with 22 candidates who he said met certain criteria: people who had managed organizations and served on government bodies.
Despite the town’s promise of a transparent process, things grew heated at the Monday night meeting.
Councilmembers Dan Swafford and Pamela Samples said Farmer should have showed the council a list of candidates before the vote and explained the criteria he used to choose them. Farmer said they should have asked to see them.
“You're giving me a bunch of names that I have no reason why they've been picked, who picked them or what they're about,” Swafford said. “I mean, I think we all need to know what's going on.”
“Well, you should get involved sometime,” Farmer replied.
Swafford said he had been trying to get involved.
“That’s BS, too,” Farmer said.
Another councilmember, William Ellis, said he had conversations about the town’s picks with Farmer and Town Clerk Noelle Conyer over the past month.
The group voted for councilman Ellis, fire marshal Mike Cornman and businessowner Andrew Henry to sit on the commission.
Richland Township picked its three members last week: township board member Dawn Durnil, former town councilor Kevin Farris and attorney Scott Reynolds.
Farmer recommended they choose Richland Beanblossom Community School Corporation superintendent Jerry Sanders as the seventh and final member. The commission’s first meeting has not yet been scheduled.
