Forsyth Commission split on whether to shift meeting times, despite pushback

Forsyth County’s Board of Commissioners is split on whether to hold more evening meetings to increase public participation. 

The Board currently holds formal sessions on Thursdays at 2 p.m. Last year, it voted to experiment with a new schedule that allowed for an evening meeting once a quarter. The first one of those was held late last week, and the public came out in droves to push for more of them. 

Marsie West was among several residents who spoke in favor of the schedule change. She said most local governments hold later meetings so the public can have face-to-face interactions with leaders.

“It’s much harder to ignore people standing in front of you than 10 emails in your inbox," she said. "Public meetings are meant for the public. It's not just for the commissioners. It's a two-way street, and they need to be available to all.”

Chair Don Martin, who has said he prefers to interact with the public via email, wouldn’t budge. He suggested residents can watch livestreams or call commissioners directly. 

“The majority of this Board has been interested in meeting at two o'clock, and at least I think in our country, majority has been ruling in those decisions, and that's the way it's been," he said. "So I'm going to vote against this motion for that reason.”

The Board voted 3-3 on a proposal to hold more 6 p.m. sessions, with Commissioner Richard Linville absent. That means for now, evening meetings will still only happen once a quarter.