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Investigation prompts resignation of MCPH Board members

Investigative reporter Anne Landman is following a long trail of controversial actions by Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland. The latest appears to be an effort to remove Mesa County’s pu… MCPH Board members have resigned their resignations following a long trail of controversial actions by Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland, who accused Mesa County's public health director Jeff Kuhr of spending 219 dollars from his mesa county purchasing card on food and alcohol at a team building event. The D.A. investigation concluded that Kuhr's allegations regarding grant funds were not worthy of investigation, effectively vindicating Kuhr who was widely recognized for his successful handling of the pandemic in Mesa County. Anne Landman has documented Commissioner Rowland’s very public history of anti-public health sentiments, including anti-vax and anti-mask conspiracy theories, making homophobic statements, and promoting efforts to pay drug-addicted women 300 dollars to get sterilized. The health board now consists of 4 temporarily appointed members who commissioners selected behind closed doors.

Investigation prompts resignation of MCPH Board members

Publicerad : 10 månader sedan förbi Dannie Condon i

Investigative reporter Anne Landman is following a long trail of controversial actions by Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland. The latest appears to be an effort to remove Mesa County’s public health director Jeff Kuhr. On May 18th, 4 of Mesa County’s 5 board of health members submitted their resignations. The only one who did not? Commissioner Janet Rowland. This comes following very public tension between Rowland and mesa county public health director Jeff Kuhr.

Landman has been following this story for some time now, emailing both Rowland and Kuhr regarding the issue. According to Anne, the conflict started when Commissioner Rowland accused Director Kuhr of spending 219 dollars from his mesa county purchasing card on food and alcohol at a team building event. Commissioners even had the D.A. investigate. Rowland then shifted the accusations to focus on Kuhr’s other spending, such as payment of 480 thousand dollars to a grant writer. Putting it more in context, Kuhr paid the grant writer about 120 thousand a year because she successfully earned the health department 6 million dollars in grants over 4 years.

May 16th, county commissioners who have no oversight of executive director Jeff Kuhr but do oversee the board members put members on notice of a special meeting to consider removing all of them except Commissioner Rowland, who appointed herself to the board. In their resignation letter, board members say it was evident commissioners proposed their termination because they quote, “disagree with the board of Health’s decision to continue the employment of Jeff Kuhr as public health director.”

Now, late on May 25th, the D.A. announced his investigation concluded the commissioner’s allegations regarding grant funds are not worthy of investigation, effectively vindicating Kuhr who was widely recognized for his successful handling of the pandemic in Mesa County. Landman says she believes commissioners are currently overstepping their authority, and according to an unscientific Daily Sentinel poll a vast majority of locals who weighed in agree.

The health board now consists of 4 temporarily appointed members who commissioners selected behind closed doors; a move Landman finds in line with previous statements Rowland made to The Daily Sentinel. Landman has thoroughly documented Commissioner Rowland’s very public history of anti-public health sentiments; posting anti-vax and anti-mask conspiracy theories, making homophobic statements, and even promoting efforts to pay drug-addicted women 300 dollars to get sterilized. Kuhr would be the second Mesa County health director Rowland has disagreed with and worked to remove.

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