CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — A disgruntled former employee questioned the Clarion County Commissioners about his layoff at the end of a scheduled work session Tuesday morning.
Commissioners felt it was cost effective, a better use of tax money, and part of various cost savings they have enacted.
“I was terminated yesterday due to economic conditions and a loss of workload,” said Dan McDonald, a former information technology specialist. “I’m going to direct this to Ted because he’s the one that did most of the talking yesterday. Can you explain to me how there was a loss of workload in the IT department?”
Commissioner Ted Tharan explained that the decision was made following the combination of the IT department. The new department included two IT personnel and McDonald who served as 911 information architects.
“After discussing it with everybody in the IT Department and the commissioners, we did not have the work to justify three people,” said Tharan.
A general policy does not allow the discussion of personnel issues in public meetings.
McDonald countered that he was asking questions as a private citizen about the financial reasons for the decision.
“This is actually financial — if you’ll bear with me for a few minutes,” said McDonald. “Do you know right now that there are over 100 open tickets, and they’re adding up daily? The time to close the ticket is 12.5 days. It takes two days to even respond to one ticket, but you’re telling me in the county that there is a loss of workload, how did you come up with this?”
IT Director Chad Johnston later said that although tickets were out for some projects, problems are finished and haven’t been officially closed. Tharan felt that the two employees could handle the IT needs of Clarion County.
Tharan said he wasn’t there to argue with McDonald.
”The decision was made by all three of us. We did what was in the best interest of the county. If you go back two years, you were a part-time contractor.”
An official letter to McDonald dated February 6, 2017, and signed by Human Resources Director Tricia Douglas and all three commissioners — Tharan, Wayne Brosius, and Ed Heasley — stated “Unfortunately, economic conditions and the lost workload associated with the cancellation of the Courthouse Annex project and the new 911 Center have made your position redundant. You’re the least senior of the three employees in this department.”
Commissioner Wayne Brosius said at the meeting Tuesday the main reason McDonald was hired was to have him there for the wiring of the new building (annex) and later a possible new 911 Center.
“That was never a condition of my employment,” replied McDonald. “And, I was paid by wire line and wireless funding and not by the county. That was my primary funding.”
Douglas said after the meeting that McDonald first worked in the 911 Center as a private contractor prior to 2014 when he became a salaried employee. He was an at-will employee, and the decision for the layoff was cost effective. She said he would be eligible for unemployment.
