IONIA — On Wednesday afternoon, the Ionia County Staff Committee voted to reinstate a fired Road Section personnel.
Linda Pigue
Stephanie Fox
Just a few hrs afterwards, Ionia County Administrator Stephanie Fox and Finance Director Linda Pigue equally resigned, successful March 31 and March 16, respectively.
Fox has been the county administrator due to the fact 2011, although Pigue was hired in early 2020.
The Personnel Committee voted 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon to reinstate Bud White to his position with back again shell out and gains. Commissioners Larry Tiejema and Ga Sharp voted indeed when Scott Wirtz voted no.
Fox experienced fired White on Feb. 18. White has been with the county for 31 years in between his component-time and full-time work. He most not too long ago was road superintendent.
A county formal furnished the resignation letters of Fox and Pigue to the Day-to-day News. Fox emailed both equally resignation letters to county commissioners soon in advance of 6 p.m. today.
Bud White
Fox said she was resigning based mostly on the Personnel Committee’s failure to uphold White’s termination, which she reported was produced “in apparent accordance with present board resolutions, policies, and the tips of county lawyers.”
“I are not able to start out to convey my disappointment that the board has picked out to reinstate Mr. White, an untrustworthy employee,” Fox wrote. “What is specially disappointing is that (Road Section Director) Mr. (John) Niemela’s 6 months of work at the Road Office carried additional bodyweight in the board’s choice than Ms. Pigue’s 18 months as the interim Road Division director and my 37 decades of experience with the county.”
In her letter of resignation, Pigue also cited the Personnel Committee’s failure to uphold White’s termination as her purpose for resigning. She shown a range of accusations in opposition to White, which seemingly ended up introduced up in shut session at his hearing and which Sharp stated at Wednesday’s conference would not be reviewed in open up session.
“Since I believe that I have shown Mr. White to be dishonest and untrustworthy, I will resign alternatively than continue on seeking to identify and reduce misappropriation of county and point out sources,” Pigue wrote.
More than 20 Highway Section staff attended Wednesday’s assembly to present their assistance for White, and many spoke throughout public remark.
Go through Fox’s resignation letter listed here: Fox resignation
Browse Pigue’s resignation letter here: Pigue resignation
A comprehensive tale about Wednesday’s Staff Committee’s meeting and the resignations of Fox and Pigue will be published in Friday’s Day-to-day Information.
