The conservative majority of the board says it was misconduct and grounds for dismissal when Health Officer Adeline Hambley shared with the public her concerns about proposed budget cuts. At her termination hearing, her attorney, Sara Howard asked Hambley and county administrator John Gibbs about that contact with the media.
Hambley:
“Why did you feel it was important to notify the public about where things were in the budget process? To me it is public information when this level of cut is being considered that would severely impact public health programming I think that information needs to be conveyed and communicated to the public. That was fact based.”
Gibbs:
“The budget is a process and throughout that process to be going to the media and saying things like the department of Public Health is going to be forced to shut its doors I think is extremely highly irresponsible. You don’t think it is information that belongs to the public to talk about what the policies that are being proposed at the moment No, because it is not a final product yet. You are in danger of the state coming in and taking over the department. You don’t think that is information that belongs to the public for them to know? Not in the manner in which it was done.”
When the conservative majority on the board took control in January they immediately moved to replace Hambley with a safety officer at a heating and air conditioning company who shares their objections to COVID restrictions imposed by the health department. But first they must have a reason to fire Hambley, and they say her public objections to budget cuts is cause for termination.