CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – Clarion County Commissioner Wayne Brosius confirmed on Tuesday that the county will not be offering a contract to Clarion-Limestone School District for a police resource officer.
Brosius was questioned at Tuesday morning’s work session after a Clarion News story on Tuesday, May 19, reported questions were raised at a school board meeting by C-L Superintendent Amy Glasl concerning a contract with Clarion County and the Sheriff’s Department.
A sheriff’s deputy was assigned as a resource officer for the school district, but the position was eliminated by the county salary board at an April meeting. Commissioners indicated it might be possible to rehire the position at the start of the 2020–21 school year providing that a new contract could be approved. Commissioner Ted Tharan noted that the new contract would be more expensive in the future.
“I hadn’t heard anything, so I called that commissioner today (May 13), and his response to me was that they are not going to renew the (school resource officer) that we’ve had for six years,” Glasl was quoted in the Clarion News story. “He said it would be a lot more money, and I wouldn’t even want to know the amount it’s going to be.”
C-L Board member Nathaniel Parker also suggested the resource officer contract action might also be part of a feud between commissioners and Sheriff Rex Munsee over his hiring of former District Attorney Mark Aaron.
“We should all be aware of what I would call an ongoing feud according to the paper between the sheriff, who is a resident of our district and is supportive of our school, and the commissioners,” Parker said at the meeting. “I can’t help but wonder if we’re not collateral damage to this ongoing feud.”
When Tharan was questioned at Tuesday’s work session about “the feud,” he asked, “What feud?”
Then, he added, “Rex can do whatever he wants.”
Brosius said that although he didn’t have much to say, he didn’t think there was a feud between the commissioners and the sheriff.
“I just haven’t seen the exact cost of what they’re working on for the position. HR was working on it, and it still isn’t known,” Commissioner Ed Heasley explained.
Background
Sheriff Munsee Seeking Reasons for Position Elimination, Work Continues With Reduced Staff
