Its name isn’t the only thing wrong at Tri-County Electric Cooperative. The power provider for the Sandy Run and Horses Neck area of southeastern Lexington County also covers Calhoun, Kershaw, Orangeburg, Sumter and Richland counties. It also has a board that appears to be more interested in their own pocketbooks than their members. Three board members have resigned, and members have enough signatures to fire the other 6 still there. At last count, more than 1,400 signed the petition – enough to force a special meeting to fire the board. This has never happened in the 80 years since cooperatives like Mid-Carolina, also serving part of Lexington County, were formed. Tri-County members are upset that their part-time board members paid themselves about $52,000 year each with insurance worth triple the national average for similar boards. Tri-County’s 13,600 members want to know why they met 50 times a year – 4 times more than required – at $450 per meeting plus lifetime health insurance coverage. Under Tri-County by-laws, members may request a meeting with 1,362 members’ signatures. They may call for removing the board with a minimum of 300 signatures. Petitions must be checked by Tri-County staff to verify members’ signatures are legitimate. Two lawsuits aim to cut board pay, force the board to repay “excessive” compensation, give that money to members, and fire the board. The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina called on the board to resign.