PEC asks board member to resign

January 22, 2013, 9:00 pm by Adam Troxtell

PEC District 4 Director Chris Perry sits silently while the Board President and District 3 Director Kathryn Scanlon reads out the resolution reprimanding him, removing him from his position as board secretary-treasurer, and asking him to resign.

The PEC Board of Directors has reprimanded one of its members and asked him to resign after he published a letter to the editor in area newspapers in favor of implementing customer choice for the Co-op.

The board also stripped Perry of his Secretary-Treasurer position on the board and named Cristi Clement of Marble Falls to the post.

Chris Perry, the District 4 director, had a letter to the editor published in The Highlanderand the Austin American-Statesman, among other publications, last month supporting the introduction of customer choice, or the ability of PEC members to choose where they purchase their electricity. District 6 Director Larry Landaker said by publishing the letter now, at a time when the results of a PEC study on customer choice is not complete, Perry’s actions had been detrimental to the board.

"He has free speech rights,” Landaker said. "He has stirred up members and employees who wonder where we are going with this [issue of customer choice.] It’s the damage caused by the fury, and all before the fact. This is a sensitive issue.”

Perry, who voted against the resolution, said he would not be resigning, but he said he needs some extra time to gather his thoughts after the resolution was passed 5-2.

For the full story, see Wednesday's Burnet Bulletin or Friday's Highlander.