By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — Today the Marshall County Council is set to consider a move to night time meetings for the coming year.
It’s been a topic of debate since the last election as many other counties conduct much of their business at night. In Marshall County government, daytime meetings have been the norm for many years. A Libertarian candidate for the council in the last election, Ryan Liedtky broached the subject of changing meeting times as part of his campaign in 2008.

For him the issue was not solely one of attendance.
“Whether or not somebody goes to the meeting isn’t really as important in my mind as whether they can go to the meeting,” said Liedtky. “A lot of people work during the day. If they did take time off to go to a meeting they’d be reprimanded by their employer. If I had been elected I would have had to take vacation time to be at meetings.
“Whether people do or don’t go isn’t the issue. It’s whether they have the ability to go.”
Liedtky is not running for office in Marshall County for the coming election due to his work with the party and in aiding other candidates in their election bids. While he feels that the current council is a strong one, he feels that a switch of meeting time to evening helps its strength.
“If a hot button issue comes up, I think that it’s important that people can be there to voice their opinion if they wish,” said Liedtky. “With the economy the way it is who knows?”
Ryan Ripley — who is seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party for the District 4 Council seat in the coming election – shares Liedtky’s belief that the body should conduct business at night.
“I believe that freedom means participation in power,” said Ripley. “Around 85 percent of taxpayers are working between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and therefore can’t participate. To have that many taxpayers excluded just feels wrong to me.
“Secondly I feel like this particular council has become a rubber stamp for the (Marshall County Board of) Commissioners and anything we can do to get people to meetings is important to provide that proper check and balance.”
Ripley believes as well that it’s about the ability to participate.
“People should have the opportunity to attend if they wish,” said Ripley. “When there is consideration of issues such as the CAGIT (County Adjusted Gross Income Tax) or additional income taxes, they should have an opportunity to give their input. Who knows? Some taxpayer might just have a better idea they can share in a meeting.”
So far as current County Council President Matt Hassel is concerned it’s a matter of how to get the county’s business done in the most efficient manner possible.
“We did have some night meetings when I was first elected to the council – I believe it was back in 1995 or 1996 and we really didn’t have anymore public participation than we do now,” said Hassel. “I remember it gave us some problems getting department heads or employees to be present to answer questions we might have because it was after hours for them. I’ve talked to a lot of people in my district and they’ve told me that it really didn’t matter to them.”
“Honestly I’m for whatever solution we can come up with to be most functional to get the county’s business done,” said Hassel. “The bottom line is that we have obligations and responsibilities to the county to be effective in how we serve them. Right now meeting in the daytime seems to fit that criteria.
“It would help me if we met at night. I wouldn’t have to take vacation time to come to meetings, but is that best for the county?”