The Butler County Commission’s Tuesday meeting became contentious after Commission Chair Bruce Harris questioned Commissioner Peggy Palmer’s involvement in the resignation of Sherry Cody, director of the Augusta Senior Center.
“I am disappointed with what has transpired within the last week,” said Harris.
“If you’re going to go where I think you’re going with that we’re going to have a problem,” responded Palmer.
It had recently been brought to the commissioners’ attention that the Augusta Senior Center owes thousands of dollars in taxes to the IRS. At last week’s meeting, the commissioners discussed a course of action to deal with the lack of oversight at the Augusta Senior Center and suggested that they could withhold funding from the Center until the issues received proper attention. The county commission provides some funding for all Senior Centers in the county.
According to County Administrator Will Johnson, the county commission has no authority over any of the Senior Center directors.
“Ms. Cody was an employee of the Board of Directors of the Augusta Senior Center,” he said. “The county does not have any oversight in her employment.”
Members of each Senior Center elect a board of directors that oversees the center director. This board of directors makes decisions about the employment status of the center’s director.
In light of this, Harris felt Palmer overstepped the bounds of the county commission by becoming involved in the process of procuring a resignation from Cody.
“What transpired was well beyond the authority of a county commissioner,” said Harris. “This is an issue for the board. This is not an issue for one of our commissioners to take on alone.”
“I am totally offended by your attitude,” replied Palmer. “You have no right to make those remarks to me.”
“I do have the right as chairman of this board,” responded Harris. “You had no authority to discuss anything with that director.”
Additionally, Harris felt that since such involvement had not been the consensus of the commissioners, Palmer shouldn’t have acted as she did.
“You went down there on your own, not as a delegate from this board,” said Harris.
On the other side of the issue, Palmer felt like it was her responsibility to act on behalf of her Augusta constituents and to do what she could for the future of the Augusta Senior Center.
She also felt that Harris didn’t understand the situation and was being unfair in his assessment of her actions.
