Civil service board is expanded

EPHRATA - Grant County commissioners decided to expand the civil

service board to five members after a board member was accused of a

conflict of interest,

The board makes recommendations to the Grant County Sheriff's

Office for hiring and promotions, and decides on complaints made by

deputies against the sheriff.

EPHRATA - Grant County commissioners decided to expand the civil service board to five members after a board member was accused of a conflict of interest,

The board makes recommendations to the Grant County Sheriff's Office for hiring and promotions, and decides on complaints made by deputies against the sheriff.

Commissioners Cindy Carter and Carolann Swartz approved the change from three to five members. Commissioner Richard Stevens was absent because of an illness.

Carter and Swartz said they heard a lot of support for expanding the board.

"I'm in favor of this action, primarily because our county is growing and I feel that we get a much broader representation of the county by having more people on the board," Swartz said.

The expansion makes the board less political, she said. The change is effective immediately, and people have expressed an interest in joining the board.

The decision came after reports of problems with the board with the appointment of the latest member, Pat Lamphere, Carter said.

"According to some of the officers, (the oral board) was very short, like the result was predetermined," she said. "Since (Lamphere) has been on the board, she brought an oral board that is not made up of the three civil service commissioners."

The complaints culminated in accusations from Sheriff Frank DeTrolio that board member David Canfield had a conflict of interest.

The prosecutor's office suggested increasing the number of members to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.

DeTrolio pointed to Canfield's son being a deputy, his son-in-law being a former deputy and his company's former involvement with the county as the risk manager as points where Canfield's interests conflicted with his position on the board.

"Quite frankly, I think there's a conflict. I still think he needs to step down," he said. "He's a very powerful person. He has a very powerful personality. He pretty much controls the civil service board."

DeTrolio said the move to five members isn't likely to affect the board since the board's chair still holds a lot of power.

"The only way I would be happy with the civil service board right now is if (Canfield) would step down," he said.

Canfield said he plans to step down, adding the entire issue is about to become moot. The 20-year member wants to finish updating the board's regulations before he leaves. He pointed out he offered to leave the board when DeTrolio was elected sheriff because he had supported the other candidate.

"(DeTrolio) asked me to stay. That's the way it's been until two years ago, when he got a list he didn't like," he said. "I welcome anyone who wants to look at the civil service board records and they'll see I've served without bias."

Canfield called DeTrolio's accusations a "cowardly attempt to gain publicity" before the election, saying the sheriff influencing the board's composition compromises its intent.

"The tail is not supposed to wag the dog. (The board) is supposed to be a watchdog," he said. "Frank DeTrolio has never talked to me face-to-face and asked me to resign from the civil service board. He goes to the press. He goes to the commissioners."

Canfield supported the move to five members on the board, saying the expansion will bring more diversity to the board.

DeTrolio denied his request had anything to do with the election, saying it's been an ongoing problem.

Stevens said in an interview prior to the decision, the commissioners decided there wasn't a conflict of interest with Canfield.

Carter disagreed about the conflict of interest, saying in an interview after the meeting there was an appearance of a conflict of interest with Canfield on the board. Both she and Swartz said the commissioners won't remove a member of the board, unless there is a major problem.