FeedsChief’s firing criticized
To the editor;
As someone who has devoted considerable time to the community through my past and long support for our school district, children, residents in need and Van Buren Department of Public Safety, I feel compelled to comment upon the recent firing of Jerry Champagne, the most competent and qualified person to lead the department in its history.
As you well know, I am outspoken in my conviction about the leadership, or complete lack of, being displayed by Paul White. Firing someone of Jerry’s caliber should raise enormous red flags to the residents of Van Buren about the character and motives of White.
Without question, Jerry Champagne has done a remarkable job as our Public Safety Director. He is a man of unquestionable character and his integrity is beyond reproach. He has devoted the last four years of this life to working hard for this community.
He managed our tax dollars responsibly, made needed and valued improvements in service that put more officers on the street, assigned fire fighters to respond to emergencies from the stations and crated a traffic unit to keep motorists safe. Through his efforts and because residents realized how important it is for our community to be safe, an increase in public safety millage was passed. Passage of the millage made it possible to form a special investigations unit and hire more police and fire personnel—the result—better protection for us.
By comparison, what has White done in his six months in office?
Started taping board and commission meetings—apparently to create a personal inventory, using our tax dollars, to memorialize his “work” since he can freely take these tapes home. What else had he done? Oh yeah, forced a 10-year secretary to resign her position while handing out 2 percent pay raises to others and installed fancy, expensive locks in his office, probably to keep me out.
In White’s “State of the Township” he speaks highly of the quality of public safety in Van Buren and in that regard he is correct; Van Buren Public Safety is worthy of praise. Well Paul, tell us what Jerry has done in the past six months since you took office, or better yet, the past couple of months since you posted your address, that has been so significant that Jerry had to be fired.
During the campaign, you stated everyone would be treated fairly and with respect. Your actions and words are very far apart and thus, hypocritical. Yes, I’m convinced you are very much a hypocrite, not to mention dishonest and incompetent.
White has made it clear that if you are an employee with a beef (usually the poorly performing employees), you can come to him and he’ll do what he can to help. Chain of command be damned, hearing both sides of the issue? Well, what do you think? What residents should know, though, is that the majority of public safety employees hold Jerry in very high regard. In fact, most employees at the township do, too, and I have yet to know of a single resident who had not been impressed when dealing with Jerry as he worked to resolve their problems or provided them a sympathetic ear when they called upon him for help.
As for White, it is time our residents take notice and get involved to stop this individual from being in office solely to serve his personal political agenda and perhaps that of a small group of malcontent people. The township as a whole deserves better.
My devotion to this community over the past 30 years speaks for itself. Jerry’s dedication does too. To Jerry, I would like to express my appreciation for your efforts behalf of the community. I wish you all the best for a successful future. Your loss will surely be someone else’s gain.
Bob Thorne,
Chairperson, Van Buren Public Safety Committee
