As the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners moves forward in its process to cut millions of dollars out of its operations in its budget process this year, one of its members is accusing the body of trying to keep the public out of the process.

The debate over the retreat came as the board directed administration to pursue the development of a four-year budget.

The county’s budget retreat, planned for 6 p.m. May 16 in place of the board’s typical Thursday working session that week, is planned for a different location than the board’s typical meeting room in the Washtenaw County Administration Building in downtown Ann Arbor.

“I struggle in this room to have the kind of conversation with all of you, with my peers, that lets me get to that prioritization process,” said Commissioner Conan Smith, D-Ann Arbor. “I have been a big advocate for that conversation getting out of this particular space.”

Several commissioners had suggested the meeting convene in Washtenaw County’s Learning Resource Center at 4135 Washtenaw Ave. just east of the U.S.-23 interchange - and the change of locations was added to the board agenda Wednesday night for approval.

Commissioners passed the measure in a 6-2 vote - but not without lengthy discussion and an accusation from Ronnie Peterson, D-Ypsilanti, that some on the board were trying to meet away from the public eye.

Peterson and Commissioner Dan Smith, R-Northfield Township, voted against it holding the meeting at the Learning Resource Center. Commissioner Rolland Sizemore Jr., D-Ypsilanti Township, had stepped out of the room at the time of the vote.

The budget retreat will be the first time commissioners will have to establish budget priorities, as they work to trim a $3.9 million operating deficit for the 2014 fiscal year alone. It’s a typical part of a budget-setting process as commissioners prepare to make cuts at the departmental level.

The most vehemently opposed to having the budget meeting at the LRC, Commissioner Peterson resolutely stated that he felt the intent of moving the meeting was to keep the public from attending.

Meetings and working sessions of the county board are televised on CTN, thanks to the cameras installed in the county’s board room. Peterson said he didn’t like that the budget meeting would be in a location where he didn’t think that capability was possible.

“I want to discuss it at this table,” Peterson said of the meeting room in the administration building downtown Ann Arbor. “When things are not done in this room it puts a shadow over it. No one’s elected to be anointed to run anything around here. Everyone’s elected equally at this table.”

Chairman Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor, responded to Peterson twice as the two engaged in a series of increasingly heated interactions.

“My intention was not to take it off camera or off record,” Rabhi said. “We’re always on the record. … I feel we’ve gone a little above and beyond the Open Meetings Act.”

The LRC is on the number Ann Arbor Transportation's No. 4 bus route, Rabhi said.

Peterson went on in his comments to suggest that if the budget retreat was to be a “love fest” in which commissioners engaged in feel-good discussions with hugs that he wasn’t interested in attending.

Commissioners engaged in roundtable discussions at a March working session intended to start the budget process but did not establish concrete priorities.

“This will not be a love festival,” Rabhi said. “There will not be any hugs, unless someone wants to give me a hug … I think this is unfair to me, as I have explained the process in detail.”

“It’s not directed at you,” Peterson interjected.

“You didn’t mention it at me, but I feel it’s directed at me, OK?” Rabhi said in response. “This is a process of setting our weighted priorities. It will not be a love fest, but it will be an opportunity to get work done.”

Greg Dill, infrastructure manager for the county, told the board that there is the technological capability to televise meetings from the LRC.

The budget retreat came before the Board of Commissioners on the same night that the board voted to direct the administration to pursue the development of a four-year budget.

The county is on a two-year budget cycle. County Administrator Verna McDaniel has said that a four-year budget cycle would add fiscal stability to the county in the long term, and would help to eliminate an operating deficit in the years ahead.

The board voted 7-2 to approve the measure, with commissioners Dan Smith and Peterson voting against it.

“You’re going to do al these four-year budget predictions in a few months?” Peterson asked. “You’re running a multi-million dollar organization … that’s a major decision that the public needs to be tuned in on.”

Under a four-year budget cycle, the county board would still have the opportunity to change the budget each year during a necessary annual reaffirmation vote, McDaniel said. Quarterly budget reports delivered to the Board of Commissioners also would give them time to make adjustments if the financial situation warranted it, McDaniel said.

The Board of Commissioners must pass a balanced budget by the end of the calender year.

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.