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The Charlotte County Board of Supervisors (BOS) will begin a new year with a new chairman at the helm.

The BOS held its organizational meeting Monday, Jan. 4, and voted 5-2 to elect Supervisor Gary Walker as the new chairman replacing Garland Hamlett Jr.

Walker had previously served as vice chairman.

Supervisors Donna Fore and Kay Pierantoni voted against Walker as chairman.

Following the vote, Fore made a motion to elect Supervisor Will Garnett as the BOS vice chairman, which passed unanimously.

In other business, members voted 4-3 to keep monthly meetings at 1:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month beginning on Jan. 11, followed by meeting at 6:30 p.m. on the following month.

Fore pushed for a change in meetings stating that the back and forth between day and night meetings were too confusing for citizens.

“Also, the public attends more of the nighttime meetings,” Fore said.

Supervisor Hamlett said he preferred the daytime meetings because night meetings tend to be too lengthy, stating that the December meeting, which lasted five hours, was a prime example of such.