Arrowhead Electric board members seek longer term limits

Members of the Arrowhead Electric Cooperative Board of Directors are hoping to rewrite the rules and be allowed to serve longer terms.

Arrowhead Electric Cooperative’s board is made up of seven members. Each director serves a term of three years and can serve a maximum of four terms.

The proposed changes would allow board members to serve six terms.

Arrowhead board members are paid $500 per month, according to a current member of the board.

Arrowhead Cooperative members will ultimately have the final say regarding the term limit extension the board is seeking. The question will appear on a ballot that Arrowhead Electric Cooperative members can submit during or before the organization’s annual meeting on Saturday, June 4. The meeting will be in the gymnasium at the high school in Grand Marais.

In explaining why they would like to extend how long members can serve on the board, the directors suggest that “rapid changes in the energy industry and increased demands of directors require board members to have extensive knowledge and certifications. Increasing terms provide sufficient time to onboard new directors, complete in-depth training and education courses, and allow (Arrowhead) to benefit from board member training and experience.”

The notion of extending how long individuals can serve elected office is not unique to the Arrowhead Board of Directors. The issue surfaces on the state and national level occasionally, including for members of Congress, the Supreme Court and the president.

To learn more about term limits for members of the Arrowhead Cooperative Board of Directors and the proposed changes, listen to an interview with WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs and Arrowhead CEO John Twiest. Audio below.

Click here to learn more about the proposed changes and the upcoming annual meeting.

Joe Friedrichs April 20, 2022