EDITOR:

I started attending the board meetings of the county commissioners after the firing of our then County Administrator, Emily DeSalvo. I found the circumstances of that action puzzling and decided to educate myself as to what exactly was going on. As you may remember, Emily was fired in a 3-2 (Moyle, Barron, and Peterson) vote after she gave a speech questioning the integrity and ethics of these three commissioners. Now, after attending these meetings, I too have my doubts about the motives behind some of the actions that have taken place.

The Delta Conservation District (Rory Mattson) asked for a 10-year contract to manage our county parks in order to protect their employees. After getting that contract, they asked to dissolve it a few short months later stating that 10 years was too long. In a 3-2 (Moyle, Barron, and Peterson) vote, the contract was dissolved.

Next, they (Moyle, Barron, and Peterson) hired Ms. Ashleigh Young to serve as interim administrator in a 3-2 vote. This was without it being brought to the personnel committee. It was obvious Ms. Young knew she was going to be given the job, as she showed up to the meeting with an acceptance speech all prepared.

Then in spite of the research Commissioner Viau shared as to how other counties compensated Interim employees, they once again voted 3-2, (Moyle, Barron, and Peterson) to accept a contract Ms. Young wrote herself, with a salary that was significantly more than was paid in any of the comparable examples.

Next, against the recommendations of their own personnel committee and the suggestions from Michigan Works, they voted 3-2 (Moyle , Barron, and Peterson) to lower the qualifications for hiring a new administrator. Interestingly, this would now allow Ms. Young to qualify for that position.

Are you starting to see a pattern here?

Now the latest fiasco — the annexation of almost half of the Escanaba Township into the Cornell Township. This action would profit Mr. Barron by allowing him to bring industrial solar onto his property.

We have yet to hear an acceptable answer as to why Emily DeSalvo was fired by these three commissioners. Mr. Moyle and Mr. Peterson have both stated that is because they are going in a different direction. However, when I messaged Mr. Moyle, my representative in District 4, as to what he meant by that, I received no response.

All this in just the four months I’ve been attending these meetings. There is so much more going on here. These three commissioners are supposed to be representing your interests. Are they? Mr. Moyle has stated over and over that the people have spoken at the voting booth. I hope that will be the case in November. Whether you are Republican or Democrat, at the local level the person representing us should be someone we can trust is representing the interests of all their constituents.

Barb Noblet

Escanaba