District 2 Commissioner Steve Carter brought up his plan to increase the Sequoyah County 911 board from three people to five or seven people. But the present board members said that was “a slap in our faces.”

The heated discussion was at the commission meeting Monday.

Charles “Chuck” Wyckoff said he believed that Carter was trying to get rid of the present board members.

“It’s a slap in the face of the current board…and basically you’re firing us for doing a good job. I can’t see any purpose other than political.”

Carter countered that he was only trying to help the 911 board to complete 911 improvements, and more people on the board would help. He also asked that the 911 board look into hiring an office manager, which they had not done.

Wyckoff said the board did look into hiring a manager, but did not have enough money to do so. The commissioners would have to raise the telephone levies, which pay for the 9111 service, to raise the money for an office manager, he added.

Tabor said he would not ask county residents for any more money as long as he was a commissioner.

Wyckoff said the naming of roads and addressing in the county, which will improve the 911 service, was nearly complete, and the board wanted to stay in office until the addresses were assigned and road signs installed. The naming of roads and addressing will help emergency personnel find where emergencies are occurring. He said the project is expected to be done “in a couple of weeks.”

A decision was put off until next month.