Renée McDermott questioned what has caused the party’s interest in changing the terms and how it would benefit citizens. She said she’s heard that about 50 or 60 people attended the convention and that the resolution passed, but not by a great deal.

She said commissioners’ statement that they wouldn’t take a vote during the meeting means they are willing to have the resolution sent to Raleigh with the support of only a handful of members of their own political party, basing legislation that affects all of Polk County on the say-so of about 2/10 of one percent of the voters in Polk County.

“That means no voice by the 4,962 Unaffiliated voters, none by 45 registered Libertarians, none by the 4,825 registered Democrats and even none by the 5,226 registered Republicans who did not attend your convention,” McDermott said. “No voice at all by more than 15,000 Polk County voters. What arrogance.”

McDermott also reviewed the statutes to hold a referendum and said, “if you just allow this resolution to be sent to Raleigh, rather than upholding the citizens’ right to vote on it in the referendum provided by law, you’ll be showing Polk County citizens, in the strongest way, that you just don’t care what Polk County people think.”

Commissioner Owens responded to McDermott’s statements by saying “again, you’re stretching your facts.”