The Leflore County Board of Supervisors has confirmed Greenwood Fire Chief Marcus D. Banks as the county and city’s joint-appointee to the Greenwood Leflore Hospital Board.
The vote, taken Monday, was 3 to 2. Robert Collins, Sam Abraham and Anjuan Brown voted to approve Banks. Robert Moore and Wayne Self voted against.
Months of wrangling over a nominee between the county and the city ended with 17 minutes of discussion among the supervisors.
Early on, Collins moved to approve the nomination, with a second from Abraham.
Both said the urgency of filling the hospital board seat to guide the financially troubled institution with an experienced leader such as Banks outweighed any disputes with the city regarding the overall process. Abraham cautioned against it turning into a “he said, she said back and forth.”
Moore and Self spoke highly of Banks, as he stood at a podium in front of the board in a blue suit as opposed to his fire chief’s uniform.
Moore said that any particular appointment for the sake of speed was not “going to save the hospital from a downward spiral if it is so bad.” He sought at least to hold off on the vote on Banks and bring the city and Mayor Carolyn McAdams back to the table.
Self questioned why the supervisors were holding a vote on Banks while the City Council had never held a vote on the Board of Supervisors’ nominee, Edgar Bland, a computer consultant.
Board Attorney Joyce Chiles referred to a letter from City Attorney Don Brock that explained city law stipulates that council members can vote only on nominees made by the mayor.
Chiles herself entered into the discussion, pointing out that the supervisors were given “no input” into McAdams’ selection of Banks, a criticism the mayor leveled at the supervisors when they recommended Bland in June.
Contacted after Monday’s vote, McAdams said Bland had not been responsive to her requests for more information.
“I gave Mr. Bland ample time to call and set up an appointment or give me a resumé and explain his passion for serving on the board. I never heard a word from him,” she said.
She also said she notified Brown, the president of the Board of Supervisors, of her intention to nominate Banks at least a week before the City Council voted in favor of the nominee.
Before Monday’s vote, Moore asked Banks if he would face any conflicts of interest in serving in both capacities, to which Banks answered no. He also quizzed Banks about his opinions regarding the hospital board’s current search for a CEO and the prospect of selling or leasing the facility.
Banks admitted that he was not privy to the details of the search for a new CEO but said that it needs to go forward. As for selling the hospital, Banks said he was “adamantly opposed.” He said he would need to have more information before deciding whether leasing was a good option.
“It is very important to me that the hospital stay here,” Banks said.
He said he had his first experience as a patient of the hospital last year when he had to undergo an emergency appendectomy. “To make a long story short, from admission to discharge my experience was phenomenal. ... The reason I have accepted the nomination is to make sure that within my power every citizen of Leflore County and Greenwood has the same level of health care I did. That’s the only reason I would allow my name to be put out there.”
Banks fills the fifth and final seat on the hospital board. For the first time in months, the board has a full membership.
After the vote, Banks thanked the board and council for “allowing me the opportunity to serve.” He added that he has a great deal of respect for the other current hospital board members.
Brown, who cast the swing vote to approve Banks, said after the meeting that he was not pleased with how the joint-appointee process had taken place and said that in the future the same mistakes could not be repeated.
“We have to come together on future appointments,” he said.
When asked why he voted for Banks despite his displeasure with the process, Brown said, “The guy,” adding that Banks “is what we need on the hospital board at this time.”
•Contact Mitch Robinson at 581-7235 or mrobinson@gwcommonwealth.com.
