Councilwoman Criticizes Political Watchdog for Visiting Workplace and Asking Questions

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

Bronson’s political watchdog was taken to task by Town Councilwoman Sherrie Schuler Monday for going to the assistant principal at the school where she works as an athletic director and asking why she was late for town council meetings or missed them altogether.

Elijah Williams responded to Schuler that he is a private resident who can ask these questions if he chooses to do so and doesn’t have to bring the issues forward at a town council meeting, although he asked the council at a previous meeting if something could be done about Schuler being late or missing board meetings.

Mayor Robert Partin told Williams at the earlier meeting that she is an elected official who doesn’t answer to him. He said she will answer to the voters and there’s nothing the town council can do to force Schuler to arrive at council meetings on time or not miss meetings.

Schuler was a few minutes late for the council meeting Monday due to a basketball tournament she was in charge of running.

She was angry because Williams visited Bronson Middle High School and met with Assistant Principal John Miller to ask why the councilwoman had to be late to council meetings or miss council meetings due to her job duties at the school. She said Williams had no business coming to her workplace and raising those issues.

“I am asking Mr. Elijah if you have an issue with me being late to a meeting or me not being at a meeting, you bring it to the council. You come here. You do not come to my job and ask questions at my job about me at a meeting because it comes back to me and they want to know why it’s a big deal if I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing,” Schuler said.

Williams said Miller told him all Schuler has to do is say she’s got a meeting and arrangements could be made to cover her duties.

Schuler disagreed.

“That’s not true. Mr. Miller has other responsibilities. I’m responsible for my job and I’m telling you it was not your place to go to my job like that, so if you need to ask, do it here at a meeting. I’d be happy to explain and go over it with you, but do not go to my job with that,” she said. “Mr. Miller and I have two different duties. I am responsible for the bulk of sports at the school. I have all the basketball programs, all of the volleyball programs, all of the softball, all of the weightlifting, and cheerleading. I’m responsible for that. That’s not his (Miller’s) job. He coaches softball so he can’t cover for me all the time. Like tonight, I had to make arrangements to get coverage because I had to be at this meeting.”

Schuler said when she knows she is going to be late to a council meeting or miss a meeting, she notifies Town Manager Susan Beaudet in advance so everybody knows what’s taking place. She said she was also responsible for the ongoing basketball tournament at the school. She said there were games Monday night, and she did attend the council meeting, though she was a few minutes late.

Williams asked Schuler why she wanted to be a member of the town council if she knew she had all those responsibilities at the school. Schuler told him earlier in the meeting she has a full-time job at the school plus five other jobs under her full-time job.

“My thing is if she knew she had all those responsibilities why would you want to be here?” Williams said.

Schuler misunderstood what Williams was saying. She thought he was accusing her of not wanting to be at council meetings.

“I never said I didn’t want to be here. I said it was wrong of you to go to my job and ask about council business,” she said.

Mayor Robert Partin asked if Williams had anything further to say. He said he didn’t have anything more.