Manager Articles

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING

November 2026

Your voice in your cooperative

One of the Seven Cooperative Principles is Democratic Member Control. At Darke Rural Electric Cooperative, that means you, our members, have a voice in how your cooperative is governed. 

Each year, members elect fellow members to serve on the board of trustees. This year, Districts 2 and 6 are up for election, with voting taking place from mid-February through mid-March. 

Our trustees serve as an oversight board. They do not manage the cooperative’s daily operations, but they are responsible for helping guide its overall direction and ensuring it remains financially strong, operationally sound and focused on the needs of our members. The board establishes policies, reviews financial information, approves major projects and long-term plans, evaluates the cooperative’s performance and hires and oversees the CEO. 

The board is also responsible for setting the cooperative’s rates. This is never taken lightly. Trustees carefully review financial forecasts, operating costs, power costs, system needs and the investments required to continue providing safe, reliable electricity. As discussed in last month’s magazine article, this year’s rate increase was necessary to ensure the cooperative can continue meeting its financial obligations, maintaining our system and serving members reliably now and into the future. 

The board’s responsibility is not simply to make decisions for today. Trustees must consider how each decision will affect the cooperative and its members for years to come. That means balancing affordability with reliability, planning for future needs and making sure Darke REC remains financially stable. 

Our trustees are also currently reviewing the cooperative’s Code of Regulations. This document provides the framework for how the cooperative is governed, including the responsibilities of the board and the rights of the membership. Proposed changes will be explained in an upcoming issue of this magazine and presented on the election ballot for members to consider and vote on. 

That is what makes the cooperative business model different. We are not governed by outside shareholders whose primary interest is earning a profit. Darke REC is governed by members who elect fellow members to represent them. Those trustees live in the communities we serve, receive electricity from the same cooperative and understand the impact their decisions have on their neighbors. 

Every decision should reflect our seven cooperative principles and our core values of innovation, integrity, accountability and commitment to community. Your board helps ensure those principles and values remain at the center of the cooperative’s decisions. 

When your election materials arrive, I encourage you to review the candidate information, learn about the proposed Code of Regulations changes and cast your vote. Democratic member control only works when members participate. Your vote is your opportunity to help shape the future of your cooperative.