Thomas Moore isn’t just a Demopolis City Council member. He’s also the husband of an employee at Bryan Whitfield Memorial Hospital.

At Thursday evening’s council meeting, Moore and the rest of the council had to appoint another new member to the hospital board because of another board resignation. This time, Max Bailey resigned. At a council meeting two weeks ago, the council replaced Bill Mason.

According to Mayor Austin Caldwell, three city-appointed members of the hospital board have resigned in the past year, and each of those resignations has been for reasons not directly associated with the hospital.

When board members resign, the council – which appoints five of the nine-member board – is charged with filling those positions by majority vote. And on Thursday, after a brief discussion, Moore and councilman Woody Collins both offered nominees for the position. In the end, Webb Tutt was named the newest member of the hospital board. And for the second time in two weeks, Moore’s nominee, Gus Weiss, has been passed over.

However, Moore also said he has confidence in Tutt, whom the majority of council members selected. "I’m sure he’ll do an excellent job," he said.

As board members continue to fall from the hospital, Moore and councilman Willard Williams both said they believe there needs to be ample consideration of the new board members, especially considering the problems the Demopolis hospital has faced in the past two years.

At the same time, Caldwell said it’s important that the hospital board be filled immediately.

The struggles of the hospital, and its ongoing bout with the Marengo County Commission, have no end in sight. The hospital has filed suit against the county requesting compensation for indigent care in the county. Meanwhile, the county has discussed a new sales tax that would help fund the hospital and other agencies around the county.

Williams echoed that statement.

In the end, whether there is a tax or not, Moore said he wants the people to choose the plight of the hospital.