Lexington County and all customers of Tri-County Co-Op urged to attend meeting next week

Sandy Run, SC (Paul Kirby) - Tri-County Electric Co-Op’s members have a special meeting planned to try to fire their entire board of trustees. This was scheduled after members learned that the co-op’s board members, a part-time job at best, were paying themselves huge sums that most believe is excessive compensation. Members have gathered the necessary signatures on a petition to schedule this meeting where they say they plan to oust all the trustees.

This spring, a man who is a Tri-County customer, filed a suit that alleges that the not so trusty trustees had paid themselves more than $6 million since 2004. The suit refers to tax records that say some make $70,000 a year for serving on the board; Once again, this is a part-time job at best. The national average for trustees to these types of organizations is $15,000 per year. Apparently, some of the board members were pulling in more than $100,000 annually from the co-op.

Tri-County Electric Co-Op serves Calhoun, Orangeburg, Richland, Lexington, Kershaw, and Sumter counties. Cooperatives are non-profit and are a holdover from the electrification of the country. When electricity was spreading, large for-profit power companies didn’t want to spend what it would cost to stretch utilities to very rural areas. They thought it wouldn’t be profitable to do this to serve the few customers that lived in those portions of the state. Because the rural farmers and others in those areas wanted electricity too, they came together with their neighbors, cooperated with each other, and ran the necessary lines themselves. Then they bought power in bulk for their small systems from state-owned Santee Cooper power company. They agreed they would cover their expenses by paying bills, and if any money was left over, they would eventually return it to their members in the form of “dividends.” This cooperation between family and friends is how co-ops started and got their names. Many rural areas also got their first telephones this way.

The leaders of the campaign trying to change things at Tri-County have already gotten the necessary signatures to schedule a special meeting to vote to throw the board members out. The date for the meeting will be set during the regular meeting on July 19th. Then, 681 members must attend the special meeting for the vote to even happen. Only Tri-County customers can vote.

The meeting for the members is Thursday, July 19 at the offices of the cooperative. That is located at 6473 Old State Rd. in St. Matthews, SC. The meeting is scheduled to begin at noon.

at 6473 Old State Rd. in St. Matthews, SC. The meeting is scheduled to begin at noon