By Zac Perkins, CEO
Democratic member control is more than the second universal cooperative principle to Tri-County Electric Cooperative (TCEC), it’s a way of doing business. As a member of an electric cooperative, you can play a significant role in deciding what happens at your local cooperative and within the co-op associations with which it’s affiliated.
Democratic Member Control
Cooperatives are democratic organizations governed by their members, all of whom are free to actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. The members’ elected representatives — the board of trustees — are accountable to the membership. At TCEC, all members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote).
Most electric cooperatives hold annual meetings for their entire membership. At TCEC’s annual meeting, I give a report about the cooperative’s performance during the prior year and the direction we will take in the near future.
Before the annual meeting, in accordance with the cooperative’s bylaws, members have the opportunity to shape and influence the governance of their cooperative by electing fellow members who will serve on the board of trustees.
The standard of one member, one vote, observed by each electric cooperative, assures every member an equal opportunity to influence the outcome of the board elections. Not every election is contested, but multi-candidate contests do occur throughout the cooperative world, showing principle 2 is alive and well.
It’s an example of democracy put fully into practice as people take time out of their busy lives to listen and have a say in their electric cooperative’s governance.