Annual Meeting

Read the 2007 Annual Report

Wiregrass Electric’s Annual Meeting offers members an opportunity to elect trustees that will represent them for a three-year term and to meet together to receive information important to each and every member -- including financial data and any new business that might come before the membership.

The day is designed as a family day where you and your neighbors can come to the Cooperative and enjoy food and entertainment. In addition to the fellowship, members have the opportunity to win many different prizes throughout the day – and each registered member receives a free door prize. The Annual Meeting is one of the benefits of being a member of Wiregrass Electric Cooperative.

A record-breaking crowd attended this year's Annual Meeting on Sat., Oct. 13, at the headquarters building in Hartford, Alabama. Door prizes were $15 credit on the electric bill, a calendar and a CFL bulb. We apologize to all members who did not receive a prize due to the large number registering. Light bulbs have been ordered and will be mailed to all members who did not get their prize.

Pictured on the right is W. C. Folkes, winner of the grand prize, a used 1999 Ford pickup truck. Many additional prizes were given away at the meeting. Prize winners will be notified by letter and may pick up their prizes at the district office nearest them.

Entertainment was provided by The Proclaimers from Rehobeth Baptist Church at 11:00 a.m.

Registration was from 9:00 a.m. until 12 noon in Hartford and from 9:00-11:30 a.m. at the district offices. Over 1,200 total members registered with the district break-down below:

• 639 -- HARTFORD, 509 N. State Highway
• 208 -- ASHFORD -- 1066 Ashford Rd.
• 222 -- DOTHAN -- 1983 S. Brannon Stand Rd., Suite 2
• 199 -- SAMSON -- 13148 W. State Hwy. 52

In the Board district elections, Debra Eubanks Baxley, District 1, and Danny McNeil, District 4, were re-elected to 3-year terms. Donald Ray Wilks from Chancellor was elected to the District 7 position.

Everyone attending in Hartford received free chili dogs, chips and drinks. Electrical and appliance exhibits were on hand along with arts and crafts and a health fair.

GENERAL ANNUAL MEETING INFORMATION

Board of Trustee Elections

Voting may be done at any time after registering at Annual Meeting by qualified members from 9:00 AM until 12:30 PM in Hartford, and from 9:00 AM until 11:30 AM at district offices in Ashford, Dothan and Samson. Election will be held by electronic voting machine. An independent Balloting Committee of Cooperative members will oversee the election process.

Three members of the board of trustees will be elected for 2007 for Districts 1, 4, and 7. Petitions to run for Trustee are available at any WEC office in Hartford, Dothan, Ashford or Samson. Deadline for petitions is September 11, 2007.

Trustee qualifications

• A trustee must be a member and bona fide resident in the area served by the Cooperative.
• A trustee must be a resident of the district from which he/she is elected to represent.
• Must not be financially interested in a competing enterprise or business selling energy or any supplies to the Cooperative.
• Must not be an incumbent of an elective public office which receives a salary or compensation in excess of $100 per year.
• Trustee cannot be an employee of the Cooperative nor may he/she become an employee within 2 years after leaving office.
• Cannot have a close relative employed by the Cooperative or serving on the board of trustees at the time of qualification. (Close relative means father, mother, brother, sister or child, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and to include step-children. (Does not apply to any person presently serving on the board at time this qualification was amended.)
• Cannot be an employee of the Cooperative or have been an employee in preceding 5 years.
• Cannot have been convicted of a felony offense.

Board Petition

Notice about your membership and voting

Only qualified members will be able to register, vote and win prizes at Annual Meeting.

How to know if you’re qualified?

Look at your bill card. Only the person listed on that card is able to register, vote and win prizes. If your name is not listed on that card, you are not a qualified member and will not be able to register.

What you can do to qualify?

Members may be required to show photo or other suitable identification at the time of registration. If the account is not listed in your name, you should go to the nearest Wiregrass Electric office to take care of this before Annual Meeting. You can change the account to a “joint account” between husband and wife by having the person listed on the account make the request in writing. For a husband or wife to register and vote, that account will have to be listed as a “joint account”. Forms are available online or in all offices to make this change. Persons with joint accounts have only one (1) vote between them; however, either person may vote.

Joint Account Form (pdf)

If the person listed on the account is deceased and you are the surviving spouse, you should go to a Wiregrass Electric office, show a photo ID, proof of death and sign a new membership application. There is no charge.

If the person listed on the account is not you and none of the above apply, you will need to pay a deposit and sign a membership application to have the account put in your name. Each member is entitled to only one (1) vote, regardless of the number of accounts that he/she may have.

No church, school or lodge hall is eligible to vote without the prior approved authorization by the Attorney for the Cooperative. Copies of by-laws and articles will need to be reviewed by the Attorney.

No person may vote for a member by virtue of a proxy or power of attorney.

A person wishing to vote on behalf of a corporation, partnership or limited liability company will be required to present appropriate resolutions or authorizations authorizing said person to vote on behalf of the company. Appropriate forms below:

Form-LLC (pdf)
Form-CORPORATION (pdf)
Form-PARTNERSHIP (pdf)

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