Jefferson County Commissioners Tricia Jackson and Jennifer Krouse are in trouble, and they should be.
For several months late last year the Republican commissioners refused to attend meetings. They said their absences were a disagreement with two other commissioners over who should fill a vacancy on the five-member board.
Krouse posted on social media that the Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee failed “to nominate three actual conservatives” from which to choose. One of the two remaining commissioners is a Republican and the fourth is a former Republican who switched to independent.
So, Krouse and Jackson stopped going to meetings and county business ground to a halt. Finally in late November a judge ordered the delinquent duo back to work, where the commission filled the vacancy, even though Jackson claimed she was there “under protest.”
But that was not the end of it.
A special prosecutor appointed to investigate the controversy has brought criminal charges against the two, alleging they failed to carry out their legally bound responsibilities. They are also accused of conspiring to violate the law. There are 42 separate charges—all misdemeanors, but if convicted they could be sent to jail and fined.
In addition, the two face a legal effort to remove them from office. A trial before a three-judge panel on that issue is scheduled for later this month.
Jackson, who is also a candidate for state auditor, posted on social media that she is a victim of politically motivated charges. “I take heart in knowing that I now stand in the company of other men and women, including President Trump, who have been arrested by their political rivals.”
That is quite a leap. Jackson’s delusions of political grandeur are only exceeded by her arrogant disregard for the responsibilities of her position. She is displaying a martyr complex alongside what amounts to a job interview with voters statewide for the auditor job.
If she defies her responsibilities for county commission, why should she be rewarded with a statewide role overseeing the state’s finances at a $129,000-a-year salary? The irony is thick.
The Secretary of State’s Office advised early in the controversy that, according to state code, the two had a duty to appoint a replacement commissioner. The removal petition cites at least 18 other items of important county business that could not be conducted for lack of a quorum.
Oh, and Krouse and Jackson were still getting paid their commission salaries while they were refusing to go to the meetings.
Krouse said in a social media post that the prosecution is “a frivolous waste of taxpayer money,” but a greater waste was paying Krouse and Jackson for not going to work. In the private sector, that kind of behavior gets you fired in a hurry.
Imagine if Krouse and Jackson get away with this. What would stop other public officials from just not showing up for meetings to prevent a quorum and block government from carrying out its responsibilities to citizens?
Jefferson County is a fast-growing community in the scenic and historic Eastern Panhandle. It needs responsible and coherent leadership, not petty tyrants who bring government to a halt when they don’t get their way.
Krouse and Jackson are now learning that their misguided actions have serious consequences.