Coos County Assessor Adam Colby and lawyer, Roger Gould addressed concerns expressed by the Board of Commissioners today accusing the board saying, “…you have cast Mr Colby in a false light”. Read the letter BOC Colby letter

Gould objected to the ‘tenor’ of the letter and scolded the board for using non-specific and possibly pejorative terms like “many”, “multiple” or “several”. By not being specific about numbers, counsel argued, something that happened as few as three times was perceived by the public as ‘many’ or ‘several’.

The letter lists legal expenses ‘in excess of $200,000’ for workers compensation stress claims. Gould said Colby could not be held responsible for what the insurance chose to pay out (I am seriously paraphrasing here).

The letter questions Colby’s management skills, calling him ‘rigid and controlling’ and says Colby requires some staff to get permission before using the restroom and timing the duration of restroom breaks. Colby is accused of being a dictatorial, demeaning, irrational bully and of intimidation. He is accused of clenching his fists and banging them against his desk.

The letter lists five expectations, one requirement and one reservation. Gould, citing ORS 204.601, amongst others, advises that Colby is empowered by the electorate to run his department as he sees fit. Essentially, they are requesting the department, which according to Colby, is now tip top, be left alone from board interference.

Mary Loiselle, an appraiser who left the department abruptly, June 22, spoke afterward saying she left out concerns for her ‘health and safety’. Loiselle’s name came up during the Gould presentation as an employee who had run for the office of commission and had missed a lot of time prior to leaving because of her campaign. Loiselle disputed this, saying she never took off time to campaign and everyone who met her husband filling in for her at campaign events, would likely agree.

To wrap it up, Colby’s response to the BOC letter, (which I must admit I found to be a bit of posturing on the part of the board), is to ignore it.