WEST OLIVE, Mich. — Testimony continued Wednesday in Ottawa County to determine if Adeline Hambley, the county’s health officer, can keep her job.
Hambley is accused of incompetence, misconduct and neglect of duty during the county's most recent budgeting process.
"My client has done nothing but make truthful statements about the budget process as it went along and about what she saw as the problems with that as it proceeded," Sarah Howard, Hambley's attorney said Wednesday. "Nothing about their charges are true."
"My responsibility is to the county and to the community and the duties that I'm required to do, which is provide mandated, quality public health," Hambley testified.
WATCH:
On day one of the hearing, we heard from Karen Karasinski, Ottawa County's finance director, who has a big hand in shaping department budgets.
"She never said anything to me that I thought was inaccurate about where we are," Karasinski said.
She also testified county administrator John Gibbs never told her to cut Hambley out of any of the process.
Gibbs was the first to testify Wednesday.
Gibbs often answered questions with, "I don't remember," "I don't recall," and, "that's what is written."
"When you specifically had asked Health Officer Hambley for minimum service requirements, and she sent you back the email with the 13 attachments, you were communicating about those issues with Mr. Cosby, correct?" Howard asked Gibbs on the stand.
"I might have been. I might have talked to many different people about that. I don't know exactly," Gibbs answered.
However, Gibbs was clear about his stance toward Hambley's public statements during the budgeting process.
"The budget is a process, and so throughout that process, to be going to the media and saying things like, 'the Department of Public Health is going to be forced to shut its doors,' I think is extremely, highly irresponsible," he said.
Arguments wrapped Wednesday afternoon. Later, commissioners allowed several community members to speak during public comment— most of them showing their support for Hambley.
Now, county commissioners will act as jurors and decide to keep or fire Hambley.
"I was really struck by the complete lack of evidence that I think the county has for these charges," Howard said Wednesday.
However, Howard previously has told FOX 17, she's a realist and believes enough commissioners will choose to fire her.
If that happens, she plans on filing a wrongful termination complaint.
Commissioners decided just before 6 p.m. Wednesday to adjourn the hearing and give themselves a few days to think through all the evidence presented throughout the hearing.
They will resume at 8 a.m. Monday to vote on Hambley's future with the county.
