Jarman Withdraws from OPALCO Board Race

Bob Jarman had been asked if his name would appear on the ballot for District 1 OPALCO Board. He withdrew his name on Monday, March 17.

by Bob Jarman

It is with regret that I am withdrawing my name for the District 1 director’s position on the OPALCO Board. I petitioned to run for this position for the following main reasons:

1) To keep OPALCO a power company first; to be run as a Co-Op, as according to the Co-Op bylaws and Articles of Incorporation.

2) To make sure that the Board’s actions are made transparent to the Co-Op members. With the new amendments to the bylaws recently passed by the current Board (policies 1 & 23), the actions of the Board are not transparent to the Co-Op members. In my opinion, this is totally outside of the intent of what a Co-Op should be.

3) To have an honest accounting of the investment OPALCO has in the Fiber Network. OPALCO has not made it possible for its Co-Op members to know what actual investment there is in the Fiber Network and how much of our power rates subsidize the Broad Band operations. (Because the separate set of books set up for the Fiber Network investment was closed after 5 years from the start of OPALCO getting into the fiber business, members are not informed regarding the actual profit/loss and if we should get out of the business!)

One of my main responsibilities to the citizens of San Juan County as an elected County Councilman is to be able to provide the citizens with information that will affect their lives and livelihoods. This would not be possible if I were to serve on the OPALCO Board as its policy of not allowing Board members to speak individually to its members would be in direct conflict with my duty as a Councilman. I need to devote all my time and energy to the position I was elected to do as your Councilman.