It is becoming more and more obvious to me why Fairfield County is not moving forward. Why we still haven’t broken ground on a new wastewater treatment facility. Why we wasted $1.4 million of our taxpayer money on IRS fines. Why we don’t have adequate emergency services. Why nearly 40% of our residents do not have access to high-speed internet.
All you have to look at is the behavior of Council Chairman Doug Pauley at the February 12 regular meeting. I don’t like to publicly focus the spotlight on an individual’s performance, but Chairman Pauley has earned this.
The outburst directed towards Council members Ruff and Swearingen was unprofessional and disrespectful, hypocritical of the respect Chairman Pauley demands from public speakers. It was the opposite of leadership. This outburst would have never occurred if Chairman Pauley hadn’t unilaterally removed the second Public Comment section from the agenda last year. The Chairman simply did not follow Council’s by-laws (stated in Resolution 2018-09) which clearly require all official actions to be taken only in a properly noticed regular meeting (refer to paragraph 7a). The by-laws also define the regular meeting agenda in paragraph 13, which includes two Public Comment sections. Paragraph 14a allows Council to change the agenda with a proper motion, second and majority vote. The Chairman refused to follow this long-documented process, and consistently refuses to listen to us citizens and his own council members when we respectfully ask to have that returned to the agenda.
And where is the county attorney Tommy Morgan on this issue? Why hasn’t our attorney advised Chairman Pauley that what he did was illegal and needs corrected? After all, we taxpayers have already paid 70% of the county attorney budget with only 58% of the year behind us. At this pace we will have spent $60,000 over the $300,000 budget for attorney’s fees, and with what to show for it? The county is still being sued by disgruntled past employees, which will waste even more of our taxpayer money.
So, while Chairman Pauley has positioned the spotlight on this unnecessary and childish issue, our elected Council is not focused on those extremely important matters I mentioned above that would move the county forward. We deserve better. We need real leadership.
On a positive note, I want to sincerely thank Council members Ruff and Swearingen for speaking up for what is right, and speaking up for us citizens. I admire your courage and loyalty to the position you hold. It must be tough for you, but keep the faith and keep fighting the good fight!
Don Goldbach
Fairfield Co. Council District 2 Candidate