NOTE: After our deadline, the Village of Monticello Board late Thursday voted to accept the resignation of David Sager and passed a second resolution authorizing the changing of all locks at Village Hall and other Village-owned properties locations that Sager may have access to. The resolution further authorized that all Village computer passwords be changed. Mayor Gary Sommers said in a brief interview this morning that Sager had sent some "harrasing" text messages to "me, to Rochelle (Massey) and to Carmen (Rue)" over the last two days. Sager acknowledged sending text messages and even said he did not mean to include George Nikolados in the group texts.

Sommers added that Sager will be permitted to remove his belongings from Village Hall today and will be escorted out of the building by Monticello Police, according to Sommers. The second resolution authorized Computer Doctors "to make any and all necessary changes to the Village's Computers and systems to ensure the safety and confidentiality of the Village and the employees of the Village as set forth in Village records."

Sager said later this morning: " I came into Village Hall at around 9:00 AM. Normally on Thursdays, I held weekly Department Head meetings at that time. When I came in Chief Robert Mir & Recreation Attendant Martha Daza were standing near my office door having a conversation as if they were waiting for me. I chuckled at them and said, "Guys, I will not be holding any more meetings with all this craziness." The Village Clerk (Janine Gandy-McKinney) was sitting at her desk which was about 20 feet away. So with my back to her, I pointed back in her direction and said to Rob and Martha, "Maybe she can run your meetings from now on...she thinks she can run everything around here." She then proceeded to try to file a complaint with Mir & left for the day. She has said far worse to me and other employees, but these are the silly games that get played."

Gandy, reached by phone today, declined to comment at all when asked about the incident that Sager referred to. But Sommers confirmed that a Village employee was forced to file a harassment charge against Sager with the Village Police.

MONTICELLO — A political storm blew through Village Hall on Tuesday, reflecting the real one taking place outdoors. When it was over, Gary Sommers was mayor and a motion by trustee Carmen Rue to terminate Village Manager David Sager was defeated.

Another Village of Monticello board meeting was scheduled for late yesterday to announce a public search for a new village manager, a position that has turned over more than 10 times in as many years. The board as a whole has the authority to hire a village manager.

Sager, who had a tense email exchange with Village Clerk Janine Gandy-McKinney earlier this week, had actually resigned his position by text message right before 4 p.m. on Tuesday. But Sager said that a storm-related power outage in Monticello prevented his abbreviated resignation notice from reaching the two people he sent it to: Village Attorney Michael Davidoff and Deputy Mayor George Nikolados. So when the scheduled village board meeting began at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, news of Sager's resignation had not yet reached the trustees. Sager alerted the Democrat of his intention to resign about one hour before Tuesday's board meeting that he did not attend.

On Wednesday, Sager released his resignation letter.

“I have reached the point where I have to say enough,” the letter said. “I cannot continue to work in such a dysfunctional, hostile and toxic work environment any longer. My concerns have been well documented over time and yet nothing seems to change. And the problems are only getting worse. On May 3, I was subject to an incident where one of the trustees (Rochelle Massey) screamed, cursed at and verbally berated me. Again, nothing was done. The recent resignations of both the village mayor and village treasurer made it clear to me that the work conditions here are only going to continue to deteriorate at a rapid pace. I am sure there will be a number of further resignations to come, given the current work environment.” Sager also strongly suggested that “the village seek to dissolve at this time into the more financially stable and structurally sound Town of Thompson.”

Sager, a former Sullivan County legislator, told the Democrat that he was not happy about Gandy-McKinney's “abuse” of accrued time. Gandy-McKinney, whose salary is $57,053, is one of the highest paid clerks in Sullivan County. Only the clerks in Towns of Thompson ($61,154) and Mamakating ($57,153) make more.

She would not comment for this story, but Sager said that the village clerk has complained about being asked to perform additional duties that do not fall under her job description, particularly in the absence of a treasurer. Sager disagrees and believes that the board can ask her to take on additional duties and said he has asked Davidoff to intervene.

On Wednesday, Sager said, “Janine had chronically abused her accrued time for years and the board has let her get away with it. When I questioned Janine's abuse of time I became Janine's enemy.”

Unaware of Sager's resignation, though, trustee Carmen Rue made a motion on Tuesday “to terminate the manager” in an impassioned plea to the board. Earlier that day, Rue sent a scathing memo to the board about Sager's alleged bad behavior as manager. Rue's motion, though, was defeated as Sommers abstained and deputy mayor George Nikolados voted no.

Rue's memo included a “preliminary list of causes (11 of them) for termination” that should be considered. The top three causes she listed were “blatant disrespect of the Board of Trustees and other village officials”; “blatant disrespect of village residents and taxpayers,” and “mistreating village employees.”

Sommers said, “I'm going to abstain because I'd rather wait till the next meeting so I can give him a warning.” That clearly enraged Rue, who gave him an earful in the lobby for not supporting her motion to terminate Sager. Sommers patiently listened but Rue did not give him any chance to speak and then left the building.

Later, Sommers told the Democrat: “I know that Carmen is disappointed that I didn't vote for firing the manager. But I could not vote for firing the manager until we have had a talk (with Sager) about what the board expects.”

Rue also made the motion to appoint Sommers as mayor during the same meeting. That motion carried after being seconded by trustee Rochelle Massey and with Sommers voting for it. But Nikolados voted against it, saying yesterday that he wanted a more thoughtful process and did not see the urgency to make the appointment. He noted, however, that Sommers certainly has the experience to do the job. Sommers said that he did not lobby for the position and would have been just as happy if the board had appointed Nikolados as mayor.

But now, as Sommers noted, the mayor has to act as the manager. A 1992 local law states that “in the event the village manager is unable to serve by reason of death, resignation, or other vacancy of office, the Mayor of the Village of Monticello shall serve in the capacity of the Village Manager and exercise the duties and responsibilities of that office, until a permanent appointment is made.”

As mayor, Sommers will also have the important power to appoint a trustee to fill his vacant seat.