Even though there are six open positions on the 15 member Tyrone Area YMCA board of directors, only three members of the Tyrone community stepped forward to serve.
Bill Duey, Ray Liddick and Fred Miller submitted applications to the YMCA by the deadline date of Wednesday, January 14 to be placed on the ballot.
The resolution for the Tyrone Area YMCA which states, “Any current YMCA member as of January 14, 2004 who is 18 years of age or older is eligible to vote on January 19, 2004,” will still be followed, even though there are only three candidates to fill the six positions.
According to current board member Tammy Emigh, the members of the board will then appoint individuals to fill the remaining three positions.
The board of directors are set to meet for the regularly scheduled monthly meeting on January 21, beginning at 7 p.m.
Those nominated will join current board members: Shelly Halloran, Reverend Norman Huff, Dave Sneath, Pete Dutrow, Luke Rhoades, Tammy Emigh, Phil DeHaas, Jim Bigelow, and president, Linda Hershey.
A series of events has led to the new election.
First, the Tyrone Area YMCA board of directors met on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 for the election of new directors, but instead what happened was the formation of another board of directors.
For a time, both the existing board, with Linda Hershey as president, and the board that was formed on Wednesday, December 17 with Staci Watson as pro tem. president, considered themselves the only board for the Tyrone Area YMCA.
Then, on December 30, 2003 then YMCA executive director Amy L. Hampton of Bellefonte filed a civil lawsuit at District Magistrate Fred Miller’s office against the Tyrone Area YMCA Board of Directors.
According to the complaint filed by Hampton, the board agreed to pay a 25 percent bonus being paid upon profits made during the fiscal year 2002. She said the board not making good on their February 25, 2002 agreement is a breach of contract.
Also in the complaint, it stated that the Form 990 2002, dated November 10, 2003 and completed by John Ramsey, CPA, showed an excess of $33,198 for the year.
Based on the excess, Hampton said in the complaint, “Calculations of the 25 percent bonus indicates that the Tyrone Area YMCA owes me $8,299.50.”
Citing a conflict of interest, since Miller was serving on the YMCA board and has since signed up to serve again, the case was moved to District Justice Joseph Moran’s offices in Altoona. It is scheduled for February 5 at 2:45 p.m.
In the midst of the lawsuit, members of both boards met with representatives of the National YMCA at the Tyrone Elementary School to agree to a resolution on Wednesday, January 7, 2004.
The resolution was to hold a new election to fill six open positions for the 15 member board of directors.
It has since been reported that Hampton has resigned from the YMCA. Both Hampton; program director, David Shildt and YMCA employee, Uta Emigh did not show up for work on Monday of this week.
The YMCA facility remains open with the help of volunteers. Also, YMCA programs are going as scheduled.
