Single-member district ed upcoming from PEC

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

The Pedernales Electric Cooperative will engage in a communications campaign next year to make members aware of the change to single-member districts before the Board of Directors election.

Directors voted unanimously to approve an election communications plan at their regular board meeting in Johnson City on Monday, Dec. 19.

Vice President of Communications and Business Services Alyssa Clemsen-Roberts said the goal of the plan, which will begin next month, is to inform members of the upcoming election, provide comprehensive education about the new single-member district voting system, encourage member participation in the election and promote and reinforce what she called “the cooperative difference.”

In August, the PEC Board of Directors voted to change how members elect the directors. While directors serve a specific district, the membership at-large voted as a whole to elect directors. Under the new system, only members living in a specific district will be able to vote on the director for that district.

Clemsen-Roberts said PEC will market materials to the membership that will comprehensively explain how the new system works and who is eligible to vote, as well as highlighting the difference from the previous at-large system. The communications will also highlight the directors up for re-election and the districts they serve as well as provide instructions and tools with which members can check their voting eligibility.

As in previous years, PEC is offering incentives to members who vote early in the eligible districts, which is expected to help drive up turnout. The entire membership will be eligible for these incentives if a referendum is placed on the ballot, Clemsen-Roberts said.

Door prizes and giveaways will be available throughout the annual meeting in June for anyone who attends the meeting, but members must still be in attendance to win.

Clemsen-Roberts said information will be published on the PEC website at www.pec.coop as well as in the Texas Co-op Power magazine sent to members each month and on bill inserts and on the cooperative's social media accounts.

The campaign is expected to begin Jan. 9. with an article on the election. Applications for nominations will be offered beginning Jan. 17 and will be taken until March 27. A candidate forum will be held in Johnson City on April 20. Early voting begin May 18 and continue through June 9 with in-person voting at the annual meeting on June 17.

Directors up for re-election include President and District 2 Director Emily Pataki and District 3 Director Kathryn Scanlon.

In other action, the board approved a $108 million budget for 2017 along with a proposed $165 million capital improvement plan, which includes the cooperative's buildings and vehicles. In 2015, the cooperative had a controllable expense budget of $103.6 million for an average expense per consumer of $382.62, while the projected closing budget for 2016 is $104 million in controllable expenses, or an average of $370 per person.

“What we are proposing in our budget for 2017 is less than that, based on 292,765, to be $368.83 per person,” said Tracy Golden, director of financial services for the cooperative. In 2012, the cooperative was spending $422.81 per person, so that amount has decreased by nearly $54 per person in five years.

CEO John Hewa told directors the cooperative has 287,087 active accounts with 11,713 active meters and is expected to reach the 12,000 meter plateau soon. This fall, the cooperative distributed $8.9 million in capital credits to members and has redistributed some $99 million since 2010.