Drive In to the Annual Meeting – September 2021 Manager’s Message

Dear Members,

I look forward to seeing you all at Benton REA’s Drive-In 84th Annual Membership Meeting and member appreciation lunch, held this year on September 18 at 10:30 a.m.

Join us for a modified version of our annual meeting without leaving your vehicle. Drive in to the Red Mountain Event Center (formerly the Tri-City Raceway) in West Richland where you’ll get a boxed lunch and a free money plant.

As a cooperative, we’re required to hold an annual meeting of the Benton REA members. With the rising number of COVID-19 patients being admitted to our local hospitals, we believe a drive-in event is safest for our members and employees.

We hope you’ll join us at the annual meeting—not only for the prizes, but to learn about what Benton REA did in 2020, what we’re doing in 2021 and what lies in store for the coming years.

We’ll also announce the trustee election results for districts 7 and 8. If you live in districts 7 and 8 and didn’t vote by mail, you can vote from you car at the annual meeting. Even though these trustees were not challenged in this election, it is still important to exercise your right to vote.

Voting is a privilege and a right that cooperative members have over other electric utilities. Member involvement is key to a successful cooperative because we serve our members. Your democratically elected trustees work hard to make the policy-level decisions that directly impact Benton REA’s electric service, internet and IT services, the price of these services, member programs, and how the cooperative will participate in the success of our local communities. This process of local control provides you with a direct connection, and the ability to easily provide input into Benton REA.
If you don’t know who your trustee is, visit www.BentonREA.org/trustees to see the Benton REA district map and read about all eight trustees.

I look forward to driving in with you at the Benton REA Annual Meeting!

Cooperatively,

Michael J. Bradshaw

General Manager