Need more “poking around” Dear Editor:

You scold the Morgan County Commissioners for poking into areas where other elected officials hold sway, and you use the recent resignation of the dog warden as a case in point. As I understand it, a citizen called a commissioner with a complaint, alleging some serious things, and the commissioner called the employee and the sheriff. The sheriff was so outraged by this encroachment on his turf that he now refuses to take responsibility for the dog warden function.

The sheriff, oddly enough was quoted as saying the controversy was “crazy,” that he had investigated the complaints and there was nothing to them. When he was asked what investigation he had performed, he said he called the employees and asked if the complaint was true. That was apparently it.

At last Thursday’s commission meeting, it appeared there might be more to the story than the sheriff’s investigation had revealed, and it appears that more investigation is necessary. We will get the whole truth because the commissioner did the opposite of what you say. She did not just hand that taxpayer off to another official. She made the calls herself. She asked some questions on behalf of a constituent. That is exactly what I want my commissioner to do.

Is it truly the position of The Messenger that when a citizen calls a commissioner to complain and makes serious allegations that the elected official in charge of that employee is the only stakeholder? Well, I am a stakeholder, too. I want those commissioners poking around and asking questions. That is why I voted for them.

Finally, someone grabs the reins in this county and begins to ride herd on our operations, and you are worried about turf battles and employees being uncertain who their boss is?

It is high time the county commission got curious and asked questions of the people we employ. They are spending our money. Without that money, those other elected officials would be able to do nothing. Everything an elected official does is the business of every person in this county, if they are doing it with our money. There are a few exceptions, but not many.

I want more questions, not less; more poking around, not less. Until now I never saw a newspaper that did not want the same thing.

Larry Schultz
Berkeley Springs