Guthrie chosen Chairman of the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors

Cloyd District Supervisor Joe Guthrie was elected by acclamation Monday night as the new chairman of the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors.

His election was the highlight of the board’s organizational meeting held at the New River Valley Business Center in Fairlawn.

Ingles District Supervisor Laura Walters – the board’s first-ever female member – placed Guthrie’s name into nomination for chairman. The motion was seconded by Robinson District Supervisor Charlie Bopp.

Guthrie is beginning his second term on the board.

“I appreciate the confidence the other board members have shown in asking me to be the chairman, and I will work very hard to do that to the best of my ability,” Guthrie said.

Guthrie added he is looking forward to working again with Bopp and the three new board members.

“I’m very excited about all the great things that we can accomplish for Pulaski County in the next four years. We are blessed to have a tremendous county staff. County employees do a great job for us and I’m really looking forward to what we can accomplish,” he added.

Bopp was then elected by acclamation as Vice Chairman.

“I just want to thank everyone for making me the vice chairman again, and I promise I’ll do as good a job as I possibly can,” Bopp said.

Guthrie, Bopp and Walters – all Republicans – are joined on the board by Draper District Supervisor Dirk Compton, a Republican, and Massie District Supervisor John Travis – the first independent elected to the board.

All the supervisors were officially sworn into office earlier Monday morning by Circuit Court Clerk Maetta Crewe during a ceremony at the County Administration Building in Pulaski.

Other appointments made at the meeting include Ashley Edmonds as board Clerk, Natasha Grubb as Deputy Clerk and County Attorney Tim Kirtner as the board’s Parliamentarian.

Individual supervisors were also appointed to a variety of other county boards and commissions.

Those include:

-Travis replacing former supervisor Dean Pratt on the Pulaski County Planning Commission.

-Bopp to the Social Services Board, replacing Pratt.

-Travis to an alternate position on the Pulaski Encouraging Progress Steering Committee, replacing former supervisor Andy McCready.

-Compton to the Local Emergency Planning Committee, replacing McCready.

-Compton to the Emergency Dispatch – 9-1-1 Board, replacing McCready, with Guthrie selected as an alternate replacing Pratt.

-Travis to the Town of Pulaski Economic Development and Brownsfield Board, replacing Pratt with Walters serving as an alternate.

-Compton to the School Safety Committee, replacing Pratt.

The new board will hold their first regular monthly meeting on Monday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. at the County Administration Building in Pulaski.

By MIKE WILLIAMS, The Patriot