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Unfounded accusations about Sullivan County employees

Joshua A. Potosek
Posted 5/4/21

To the editor:

Friday's (April 30) edition of the Democrat contained a number of letters that insinuated wrongdoing by employees of Sullivan County government, an unfounded accusation that …

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Unfounded accusations about Sullivan County employees

Posted

To the editor:

Friday's (April 30) edition of the Democrat contained a number of letters that insinuated wrongdoing by employees of Sullivan County government, an unfounded accusation that demands a response.

The most egregious misstatements were made about the April 23 meeting of the Legislature, where two legislators experienced difficulty in joining by video. One letter-writer went so far as to accuse our Information Technology Services (ITS) Commissioner of deliberately refusing to help a legislator join the meeting by video, insinuating nefarious and conspiratorial motives.

Had that letter-writer asked me or the Commissioner, they would have been accurately informed that no less than three ITS staff - plus two other County employees, all out of view of those in the Hearing Room - were attempting to assist that legislator to join by video, while the Commissioner monitored the entirety of the meeting in person.

The system was and continues to be set up to accommodate all legislators wishing to be seen and heard when they are unable to attend in person.

ITS does not disallow access to any meeting invitees. To allege otherwise unfoundedly impugns the character and integrity of the entire Division.

I expect accusations to be lodged against elected officials and leaders like myself in the normal course of things. It comes with the territory. But my staff should not be publicly drawn and quartered by those endeavoring to score a political point for or against legislators or other elected officials. I have asked legislators to recognize this, and I ask the same of the public.

Rather than posing rhetorical questions meant to cast aspersions more than discover the truth, I encourage these letter-writers to actually seek answers. They will find that the employees of this County - the people they pay to provide services - work hard, are diligent in their duties, and hold themselves to an ethical standard, regardless of the politics swirling about them at any given moment.

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