Thurston County Board lacks transparency

I am deeply disappointed in the Thurston County Commissioners' abrupt decision to fire Brent Butler as Director of the Department of Resource Stewardship.

In his role, Mr. Butler was competent, courteous and responsive to the public. Commissioner Bud Blake says he was not happy with the direction the department was taking, but does not elaborate. Perhaps the department was not giving the Board options regarding the plan for the Habitat Conservation Plan that aligned with the Board's unwillingness to comply with the Endangered Species Act. We will never know.

Despite Commissioner Blake's talk of transparency and giving all citizens a voice in government, his action does neither. Rather, it contributes to a hostile work environment from which the public eye is excluded.

And it follows a disturbing pattern. Of the three county directors fired by the Board, two are people of color. We need to honor and increase diversity in our community. It is only by having all voices heard and respected that we can make Thurston County a great place to live. The Board's stealthy personnel decisions damage that vision.

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Thurston County Board lacks transparency."