The Shadow
Editor’s Note: The following letter was written by Bath County Supervisor Stuart Hall with a copy sent to the Virginian Review.
To The Citizens of Bath County,
I have served the citizens of Bath County for many years, and in all my years of service as a member of the board of supervisors, I have never seen things handled the way they are currently being handled.
I would like for the public to know some of the things that have recently taken place.
Verbal abuse and intimidation towards no less than six county employees by the county administrator has been reported. In addition, the county administrator has displayed insubordinate, verbal abuse toward at least one board member. She has also engaged in verbal abuse toward citizens which can be confirmed by the citizens who reported it. ln state offices where she has no authority, she has attempted to micromanage and interfere with the policies those offices have in place to suit her own personal wishes.
The county administrator and another board member made slanderous remarks against a board member and a county employee by falsely accusing them of taking a document from the administrator’s desk without her knowledge.
This incident was not discussed with the accused board member, but with the employee and then asking her to just forget it. How can you be expected to “forget” such a blow to your honesty and integrity and your work ethic?
The accusations of the county administrator toward an employee with more than 23 years of service are a defamation of character which resulted in the resignation of the employee who felt intimidated and harassed by her work supervisor.
The employee was then released two weeks before her September 3 notice date for no reason and without due process to resolve her issues. She was given only eight hours notice to pack her belongings and leave.
She was paid for those two weeks along with her insurance premiums causing unnecessary expense for county taxpayers to a vacant position. Additional expenses will be incurred to hire and train another employee to pick up these duties.
Why would anyone treat an employee, who had given 23 years of dedicated service to the county, like she was a criminal or some kind of threat?
Other things besides this incident have also taken place. For example, qualified applicants for the tourism director position were not given the same panel or the same procedures equally. This violates, not only the EEOA (Equal Employment Opportunity Act) but also the employee handbook with guidelines to fill vacancies.
I, for one, am ashamed at how things have taken place. I am only one voice and one vote, but those citizens who elected me to serve them expect me to serve not just my district, but to serve the best interests of the county as a whole.
The things that are taking place are wrong, completely wrong. The best interests of the county are not being served. Citizens, taxpayers and the people as a whole deserve better. We must do things respectfully, fairly, honestly and consistently. An investigation into these issues must take place for the benefit of the employees and the taxpayers.
I have personally spent more than four hours in the past two months in executive session dealing with these matters. In order to serve the citizens of Bath County equally, more effectively, and more professionally, the county administrator cannot be at the center of causing the problems, and therefore I ask for her resignation as part of the solution.
Sincerely,
Stuart Hall
Chairman, Bath County
Board of Supervisors
