Greenville County Council has scheduled a public forum for today to gather input on issues surrounding the operations of the county’s Disabilities and Special Needs Board.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at County Square at 301 University Ridge.

The forum was called after complaints from families of clients who receive services from the board.

“The public is encouraged to attend and participate in this forum,” County Council Chairman Butch Kirven said.

The agency, which receives state funding but whose board is nominated by County Council, serves victims of autism, mental retardation, spinal cord injuries and other disabilities.

The council established an ad hoc committee to address the concerns after the departure of the executive director and four board members.

A financial audit showed overall a deficit of more than $1.5 million in the agency’s budget.

Critics say the board’s interim director isn’t qualified for the job.

At a recent meeting, several people addressed the council during its public session, with one parent saying she has made a civil rights complaint about the disabilities board to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Roxie Kincannon, chair of the disabilities board, called the complaint “frivolous” and said the agency has gotten its budget back in balance.

County Councilwoman Liz Seman, chairman of the ad hoc committee, has scheduled a meeting with the disability’s board for May 15.

Kincannon has said the board serves about 2,200 clients and that the complaints are coming from “five or six” families.

People who want to speak at today’s forum can sign up immediately before the meeting.

Speakers may be limited to a fixed amount of time to give “all interested persons” an opportunity to address the council, according to a statement issued by Kirven.