By now you may have heard that the new director of the Wetzel County Animals Shelter Charles Brown, hired on October 26, has resigned from his position. Why? His actions have been reviewed on social media concerning his handling of his job and employees. Mr. Brown’s actions may have been his own, but he was hired by the commission to make changes and bring the shelter up to an agreeable standard by the commission.

Were his actions his own or were they at the direction of the commission? The only way to know that is to show up next week at the commission meeting, sign up to speak for three minutes and ask, why. His leaving should not be played out in social media posts if he was acting with the guidance of the commission.

I believe behind some commissioners, both past and present, may be behind the real reason the subject of the shelter has dominated so much of the commission’s time and energy. One would almost believe that there is much more to the story than just personal conflicts. Maybe there is a faction in the county that wants to do away with the county owned shelter. Sell it or give it to a private enterprise to manage as a business. No longer would the commission have to bother themselves with the issue of being in the dog business.

The shelter’s annual operational cost is in the ballpark of $450,000. If a private business would take it over and operate the shelter for $550,000, would that be a good deal for the county commissioners and you the taxpayer?

Is the dog fight over a past grievance of a commissioner who was not given a dog because they had no fenced yard? Or maybe a commissioner doesn’t care much for animals. Or has someone whispered, sell me the shelter? Maybe one of these or maybe none. But it can’t be denied that something is wrong with the relationship of the commission and the shelter operations.

In the last year several employees have left employment at the shelter, more have been hired and then left as quickly as they came. Allegations of sexual harassment and difficult working conditions have surfaced and no creditable investigations have been under taken to ensure if they were true, or untrue.

I ask myself, is the problem between the shelter employees, and one, two or three commissioners the reason? It is undeniable that behind the scenes turmoil lurks. Harsh words have been spoken. This is not the proper functioning commission citizens of Wetzel County voted for.

Now there is a rumor that the commission may be considering promoting a current employee of the commission to be a County Manager. To my knowledge the county does not have a manager in its charter. I thought we pay three elected members of the county who live here in different areas to represent the citizens. If we need a county manager, do we need a commission who is elected and is supposed to answer to the public?

Good Citizens of Wetzel County, time has come for answers to be given and a full understanding of the goings on inside the commission. According to County Assessor Scott Lemley, we are a county that has 50 million dollars in our financial accounts. The commissioners should be looking at the future with consideration of the PSD supplying safe and dependable drinking water, bringing Broadband communications into homes and businesses, and helping to provide safe sewer systems that prevent creeks and groundwater contamination. With our county’s financial stability and the reality that stability will extend far beyond most of us. The commission should be looking to the county’s infrastructure, rather than fighting over the animal shelter.

It is time for an accounting of the full facts on the shelter’s past and present grievances. We need a fair and impartial review of the Wetzel County Animal shelter.

How can we find answers? The commissioners can hire an investigative firm to look into the action of the shelter employees and commission going back eight years. They can spare some of that $50 million to put the allegations and social media innuendos behind them and return to the people’s business.

If they choose not to have themselves investigated, then each of you reading this should reach out and contact the State Auditor’s office and ask if they can investigate the commission and the shelter.

It is important to remember that during this time of internal fighting, the animals at the shelter may be suffering. They can’t help themselves, it requires good hearted dedicated people to look after them. Up until last year when the crap hit the fan, the shelter was operating without any major problems. Then a commissioner kicked the hornet’s nest and it has not settled down since.

We the citizens of Wetzel County want the truth, and the animals in the care of the county taken care of properly, at least that is how I see the problem Through the Lens.