Lawmaker David Sager calls for investigation of aide

Charges Gestapo tactics at government center

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — Republican lawmaker David Sager dropped a bombshell on his colleagues at the monthly meeting. He said a legislative aide had been spying on him, and he demanded an investigation and the employee’s termination.

Sager said he had accidentally received a text message that was sent by legislative aide Alexis Eggleton and meant to go to county manager David Fanslau. In the message, Eggleton informed Fanslau that Sager had been examining a resolution regarding Fanslau’s contract.

Saying that Eggleton was supposed to work for all nine legislators, he said it was unethical and an abuse of power for her to “keep tabs on my comings and goings… and report them to the county manager.”

He demanded an investigation of Eggleton’s county computer to “look for patterns of abuse,” and her immediate termination.

Eggleton has been the center of a battle between Democrats and Republicans over whether she should receive a $10,000 raise, which with other benefits equals about 31 percent, according to Sager.

Democrats said that Sager should have discussed the matter with them in advance, rather than dropping it unexpectedly in the middle of the open meeting on March 20.

Democratic lawmaker Frank Armstrong objected to the way the issue was raised. He accused Sager of practicing party politics with a “gotcha” element to his disclosure of the matter.

Other Democrats once again defended the proposed raise as they had done the previous week at the Executive Committee meeting, and Democratic lawmaker Ron Hiatt argued that Democrats, in general, are more supportive than Republicans of higher salaries for county employees.

This came in response to comments made in the public comment period, in which the controversial raise was brought up in the context of the ongoing salary negotiations with county workers who are union members.

Alan Weir, an employee from Child Protective Services, said that he was speaking for others who were afraid to speak for themselves in this venue and that he would never begrudge anyone getting a raise. However, he and his colleagues, who are charged with protecting the welfare of minors, were long overdue for a significant raise.

Lou Setren, a business agent for Teamster Local 445, also said there was concern when confidential management employees, such as the legislative aide, receive such generous raises, especially in the midst of a budget crisis. He said, “We will push hard at the bargaining table” to make sure the needs of the rank and file employees are similarly met.

After the meeting, Setren described the negotiations between the county and the union as “cordial and ongoing.” Asked when he thought some agreement might be reached, he said, “You can never tell.”

At the same meeting, the board voted to allow Setren to take a leave from his job with the department of probation to become a full-time union representative, rather than a part-time one as he had been in the past.

Also at the meeting, Sager cast the sole no vote against picking up the option on Fanslau’s contract with the county and reappointing him as county manager. The board voted five to three along party lines to approve the raise for the legislative aide.