Lee Commission readdresses Hospital Authority appointments

LEESBURG — Lee County commissioners are restarting the appointment process for three members of the county’s Hospital Authority, a move officials characterized Tuesday as a housekeeping measure intended to ensure the appointments comply with Georgia law.

The Lee County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday submitting three candidates for each of three seats currently held by Rick Muggridge, Bruce Houston and Jennifer Heyer.

The resolution says the county “seeks to ensure” that members of the Hospital Authority were properly appointed and that commissioners determined the best course was to undertake the appointment process for Muggridge, Houston and Heyer again “so as to ensure that the appointment process complies with state law.”

The resolution does not specify what was incorrect or incomplete about the original appointments.

During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners offered little additional explanation.

“I think this is just a housekeeping matter,” County Attorney Jimmy Skipper said before the vote, clarifying that it was intended to make sure the paperwork for three positions was correct. The resolution was then approved without further discussion.

Georgia law establishes a two-step process for filling vacancies on hospital authorities activated on or after March 15, 1964. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-7-72, the local governing body submits a list of three eligible candidates for a vacant seat. The Hospital Authority board then selects one of those three candidates at its next regular meeting.

The law was amended in 2024. Previously, a Hospital Authority could reject all three candidates and request another slate. The current law requires the authority to select one of the three candidates submitted by the governing body.

For the Hospital Authority seat currently held by Muggridge, whose term expires Dec. 31, commissioners submitted Muggridge, Robert Davis and Wesley McMillan.

For a seat currently held by Houston with a term expiring Dec. 31, 2028, commissioners submitted Houston, Davis and Robert Pilcher.

For the other seat expiring Dec. 31, 2028, currently held by Heyer, commissioners submitted Heyer, Davis and McMillan.

That means Tuesday’s action does not itself reappoint Muggridge, Houston or Heyer. Under the process prescribed by state law, the Hospital Authority must select one candidate from each of the three lists.

The county resolution distinguishes the three appointments from those of Hospital Authority members Cole Williams and Dana Hager, stating that Williams and Hager “were previously appointed to the Authority Board in a manner prescribed by state law” and continue to serve.

The resolution does not explain how Muggridge, Houston and Heyer were originally selected, when county officials identified the issue or which portion of the statutory appointment process prompted the corrective action.

The statute also contains a provision stating that nothing in the section is intended to invalidate acts of existing Hospital Authority boards.