DEAR EDITOR:
This letter is in reference to the Bristol Township Trustees and their handling of the matter dealing with their Assistant Chief Steve Craiger.
I'd like to know how they can fire an employee who has been with the department for more than 29 years and not give him a specific reason why, or give him the opportunity to correct the reason. This is the same employee who is responsible for writing the grant that got you a $2.5 million fire station. And also the one who started the Santa Claus present delivery program for the residents of the community last year. It was a great success. This bad employee was also responsible for starting and providing an EMS crew at all of the high school sporting events.
Is it just jealousy from the Fire Chief Roger French because he didnt get credit for these things? Why did it take 11 months to make the decision that he was guilty. Did it take that long to find something he did wrong? Id also like to know why Trustee Raymon French, Chief Frenchs brother, waited until the last meeting to figure out he should not be a part of the decision whether to fire him or not.
And why fire him? Why not have his supervisor teach him how to do his job correctly if he was doing it wrong. Is it because the fire chief doesnt know how to do his job himself?
With all of the trouble the trustees have making a decision about something, I just may take the same amount of time to make my decision about the EMS levy they have on the ballot this election. Trustee Seemann says that if the levy passes taxes wont go up. But did he also say that if the levy does not pass your taxes will go down?
I think its time the trustees hire a fire chief that knows what he is doing and knows how to supervise employees. That would have eliminated this whole problem from the start.
Jealousy is the root of evil of all mankind.
Charles W. Hudak
Bristol