August 25, 2023
BATH, NY – Statement From Steuben Co Legislative Chairman Scott VanEtten: “The Sheriff has gone on a local radio station (WLEA) accusing me of “political grandstanding” by making the motion to pass this resolution out of committee and for the full Legislature’s consideration. Unfortunately for him, that’s not the case at all. I have better things to do than play politics with him.
“We as Legislators have a responsibility to our constituents and all County taxpayers to manage the County operations in the most efficient , cost effective manner. Part of that includes minimizing the risk / liability of future claims. The County gets sued often. Many of them are frivolous, some of them are very serious. In the end the taxpayers foot the bill for all settlements or verdicts should they end up going to court.
“Our ~850 employees are the County’s most important asset. We continuously work to provide them with an environment that is safe and free of harassment, hostility and the like. We have a number of policies in place to achieve that, and they are based on NYS requirements. We expect all departments and managers to adhere to and follow the same. We must ensure non bias investigations in order to accomplish the mandates of the policies. Without assurances of the same, the tax payers should not be burdened with the liability that could be prevented with compliance with processes already in place.
“So we are considering pulling the Sheriff’s indemnification. Not one Legislator wants to be in this difficult position. Unfortunately the reason we must consider it is because of the actions (or inactions) of one person.”
The Sheriff Talked About This on the August 17th Newsmaker Show on Wlea.
https://rumble.com/v38he04-newsmaker-august-17-2023-sheriff-jim-allard.html
(the part about Chairman Scott VanEtten Starts At 3:38 In)
