Letter to Editor | The bad soap opera at OIFR continues

||| FROM GREG AYERS |||

Wow, OIFR is a bad soap opera, and they are spending OUR money to make it.  You just gotta scratch your head.  Only these commissioners can successfully, and repeatedly “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory”

Last week the commissioners were able to paint this glowing picture of their succession planning with respect to the promotion of Assistant Chief to Chief.  If it was actually a plan, it seemed no one other than the commissioners knew about it, aside from the Assistant Chief.  The commissioners stated that there was a plan, and seemed to imply they were transparent with the community.   It was clear that many, if not most in the public were unaware of this transparent plan.

Fast forward, 7 days.  A new job posting is put up on the orcasfire.org website.  For a new Assistant Chief.  I must have missed it; did they even discuss this critical hire at the meeting?  Announce the hiring and their intent for the timelines, qualifications and department needs?  Let alone budget?  No, they did NOT.  We must assume they have a new transparent plan, that no one can see, maybe that is why it is transparent?  But at the next meeting they will have allowed the new Chief to hire a new Assistant Chief, or at least no later than the meeting in October.  Why?  There are at least two possible reasons.

While Commissioner Fuller has stated, paraphrased, that he is “NOT going to stand by and shirk his duties and his oath”, he knows he is short on time.  At least one of his hand-picked board members will be replaced in November, and another 2 may share the same fate, so he needs to work fast.  Yes, the new commissioners take office at the next meeting after election certification as the appointed commissioners are stand-ins until permanent commissioners can be elected. There is no time for transparency.  Just like always.

The second possibility is that the Chief already has a candidate that she will present to the commissioners at the next meeting.  How do they have a candidate identified?  Who knows.  But it is unusual to find an Assistant Chief posting with applications due in 3 weeks.  Yes, 9/18, the day of the next commissioners meeting.  A quick application period.  No public input.  No public meet-and-greet, presto, new AC.  Hired by the Chief and anointed by Commissioner Fuller, and his appointed team.

Did they need to let the public know of the hiring of a replacement Assistant Chief.  No.  But they know the public does not trust them, so why would they not have been transparent, and either have the new Chief or Mr. Fuller discuss the hiring of a new Assistant Chief?  Maybe they were afraid of yet more public criticism.

This is a group where 77% said no on their levy, but they are saying “we will give you a second chance to vote yes”.  For whatever reason, lacking transparency, they want to allow the district to unliterally decide to become insolvent by hiring another employee they can’t afford.  Why don’t the commissioners wait until the November meeting, once it is known whether the levy passed or failed?  Because that puts at risk the unified majority, as mentioned above.  So, when the levy fails, maybe they will need to lay off yet more line employees, the ones that take care of us. Is this what our community wants?  Just say no on the levy, again, and be sure to elect new commissioners.