Health commissioner fired

Anne Goon's contract as Seneca County health commissioner was terminated, effective immediately, by the health board during its Thursday evening meeting. "Six of the seven members present at the meeting voted in favor of the termination," board President Dr. Clay Wolph and Vice President Dr. Zachary West said in a written statement Friday afternoon. "On behalf of the Seneca County Board of Health, we thank Seneca County General Health District staff for their commitment to the organization and for stepping up to assist in this transition to new leadership. "We will continue to be committed to preventing disease, promoting wellness and protecting the environment for the residents of Fostoria, Tiffin and Seneca County," the statement said. On Friday, Goon said she was aware the board had conducted a performance evaluation, but she had not received any details on the results. "There's not a whole lot of comment I can provide because the board didn't provide me with any information," she said. Goon, who has served as health commissioner for two years, said the board met in executive session during its last three meetings, but she was not asked to take part in any of the meetings. "They did not talk with me personally at all," she said. Goon said there's been a 78% turnover of board members in the last two years. "The board that extended the job offer is not the board that is currently in place," she said. "As the personnel on the board changed, so did their attitude and behavior toward me." At the end of the meeting Thursday, she said board members told her their decision, and that she was to turn in her keys, wasn't to contact any staff members or enter the health department building. Upon hearing the board's decision, former health commissioner Beth Schweitzer called the action "completely irrational." She said the board fired Goon for "inefficient management," and gave no specific explanation. "I feel that I must share my total dismay at the actions of a completely irrational and personal agenda-oriented Seneca County Board of Health," Schweitzer said Friday. "They made the unjustified decision at last night's board meeting to fire one of the state's finest health commissioners, Anne Goon. Just ask her health commissioner counterparts throughout the state about her abilities." Schweitzer said the current health board is much different from the people she worked with before she retired in April 2021. "I cannot believe the difference in this board compared to the excellent, knowledgeable board that was in place during my tenure as health commissioner," she said. "That board was truly representative of the citizens of this county and their health needs. I cannot understand how the District Advisory Council was so shortsighted to let the current members infiltrate and ruin what was once a fine board of health." Schweitzer described the board members as "mainly landfill opponents and anti-vaxxers" with personal agendas. An "anti-vaxxer" is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "a person who is opposed to vaccination." "I am just totally concerned," Schweitzer said. "They don't understand the legal process. They fired the lawyer we used to have that was landfill knowledgeable. It's just awful and I don't know what to do about it." Schweitzer said she's concerned about the direction the health department may be taking. "Unfortunately, all the positive things that have been accomplished by the health department will be undermined by this shortsighted current group of board members," she said. "When a board dismisses a superb health commissioner such as Anne Goon for no justifiable reason, it raises extreme consternation for me as to what misguided and unethical decisions they will make for our county in the future." According to the health department's website, board members are Dr. Mark Akers and Bonnie Boroff, appointed by Tiffin mayor/city council; Edward Logsdon and Natasha Vitte, appointed by Fostoria mayor/city council; Scott Lyons, McKenzie Posey, Robert Watson and Wolph, appointed by the District Advisory Council; and West, temporarily appointed by the board of health for the District Advisory Council.