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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Commission will ask Wood County Sheriff Steve Stephens to come in Monday to discuss the recent letter from the Wood County Deputy Sheriff's Association where the membership held a vote of no confidence in his leadership.
The commission discussed the matter Thursday after county officials were given the letter earlier in the week.
The letter, which was also given to The Parkersburg News and Sentinel, said the association met Oct. 10, and 27 active members voted unanimously to draft a letter to the commission stating they could no longer support Stephens in his role as sheriff.
The letter made allegations of Stephens creating a hostile and negative work environment saying the sheriff displayed a lack of leadership and professionalism, was prone to fits of anger and more.
They want the commission to take action in this matter.
Commission President Blair Couch said he is not sure what their standing is. The commission is the co-employer over all county employees.
"The sheriff is in charge of his department," he said. "We don't have a lot of oversight or control over what the sheriff does."
He said the association spelled things out pretty clearly in its letter. Due to that letter, county officials feel they need to have the sheriff in to discuss the matter.
The sheriff has the option not to attend the meeting if he doesn't want to, Couch said.
The commission wants to see how the sheriff will address this situation.
They have asked Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure, as their legal counsel, to be present for such a meeting.
Commissioner Robert Tebay asked if the meeting would be held privately in executive session. Lefebure felt it would be appropriate for an executive session. Couch said they would make that determination on Monday.
Commissioner Jimmy Colombo said the letter did not detail any crime the sheriff allegedly committed, which would prompt the commission to take action.
"It was all personal opinion," he said of how deputies viewed Stephens' management style.
Couch said the letter boils down to a description of a "hostile work environment."
Colombo, as a business owner with employees, said when you have two factions like this it might benefit everyone to have the sheriff meet with his people to discuss the issues at hand or have the association designate one person to speak on its behalf.
Lefebure said that is usually the first step people take.
"If you can sit down and talk to an individual, you can make a lot of progress," he said.
Colombo said the sheriff's position is a constitutionally elected office under state law.
"I don't know what we could do to micromanage someone's office who has been duly elected by the citizens of Wood County," he said.
There are parts of state law that would allow the matter to be reviewed by a three judge panel if removal was being considered. Couch said it would involve someone prosecuting the case and someone defending.
"That is difficult," he said.
Officials said that would also require a crime to have been committed.
"The likelihood of removal is negligible, based on the information we are seeing," Couch said. "It shouldn't be taken lightly.
"He was duly elected by the people of Wood County. He has that first and foremost, the trust of the people of Wood County."
Right now, the commission is not planning to invite anyone from the association to speak Monday as they have spelled out their issues in the letter, Couch said, adding the meeting is open and anyone can attend.
"The belief is that we will be doing, at least, part of this in a closed door session," Couch said.
Commissioners said people from the public have been asking them and other county officials about this.
The matter is set for 9:30 a.m. Monday.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com.