Is there still a valid fear of COVID-19 that is sufficient to keep the Henry County Board of Commissioners from meeting in person? Or is it time to return to in-person meetings?

  For the commissioners themselves, the answer apparently depends upon which side of the aisle they sit. The only certainty right now is that the issue has become political, which is no surprise less than a month before an election in which two seats on that board are up for grabs.

  A string of emails between commissioners last week was copied to various media members, as board chair June Wood proposed returning to in-person meetings beginning with the first meeting of October, scheduled for Tuesday, October 6. The meeting ultimately took place as scheduled, with four members of the board at their regular seats in the main conference room of the county administration building. Dee Clemmons and Bruce Holmes took part in the meeting via conference call.

  According to the emails received by the Times, Vivian Thomas asked that Wood reconsider and wait until November. “I have watched the numbers of COVID-19 cases in Georgia continue to increase,” she wrote. “I want to wait and get a report in October on the impact of COVID19 before returning in an enclosed place for a lengthy meeting.” Thomas attended the Oct. 6 meeting in person.

  Holmes emailed county manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews and county clerk Stephanie Braun September 26 and stated, “Three commissioners aren’t supporting in-person meetings.  Please communicate to the public that the BOC meetings will remain online until further notice.”

  Holmes listed no names in the email, but based on previous actions regarding meeting attendance it is likely that he was referring to Thomas and Clemmons in addition to himself.

  In a September 30 email to Wood, Holmes called her plan to meet in person “a political stunt after the board has given plenty of advanced notice of its desire to continue meeting via video conference until we can get a better handle on where we are with the pandemic. Three commissioners have voted not to move forward with the in-person meetings until further notice.”

  According to various social media posts, there has been no shortage of public appearances by Holmes, Thomas and Clemmons at business and political functions in the past few weeks. But Holmes pressed Wood, who is running for re-election this month, to pull back on the BOC meetings and “exhibit some leadership by not turning the business of the county into your own personal agenda for your campaign. Please don’t embarrass yourself and this board again by intentionally moving forward with an in-person meeting knowing that you DO NOT have a quorum.”

  Holmes then pivoted from the issue of in-person meetings to a referendum on Wood’s performance in office. “You’ve had four years to produce for the citizens of this county,” he wrote. “You don’t have to resort to these types of measures to gain attention.  Just communicate what you have done to make life better for our citizens. Don’t use this stunt to make up for the lack of productivity.  Please respect the board’s wishes.”

  In advocating for an in-person meeting, Wood noted the “tremendous job” by county staff in implementing COVID-19 safety measures and encouraged everyone planning to attend to adhere to CDC guidelines, including the use of face coverings. She also provided an update from the Georgia Department of Public Health pointing out a decline in cases and various details on recent testing. In a separate email to county attorney Patrick Jaugstetter, Wood asked for confirmation that a commissioner with health issue can participate in the meeting via telephone while other board members are meeting in person.

  Holmes threw down the gauntlet in his final two emails to Wood.

  “We don’t have a quorum,” he wrote October 1 “Why would you move ahead with an illegal in-person meeting? Please really think through what you’re doing to this county. We just need you to show just a little leadership.”

  That was followed a day later with this brief notice: “Donald Trump and his wife now have COVID-19. There is nothing further to discuss. Please respect the will of the entire board.”