The Commissioners finally brought Valerie Stamey to a meeting to explain the lawsuit brought by eastern attorneys concerning $18,149.00. That gave her plenty of time to write something inflammatory about the Commissioners, thus allowing her to evade the issue. It was a well calculated smoke screen when the meeting finally occurred at which she was supposed to give her side. Obviously, she did not want to reveal her side, because she had none. She then abruptly left the meeting as though someone had falsely accused her, when in truth it only proved to everyone she was guilty. With her smoke screen in tact, she accused the Commissioners and everyone else in the Treasurer’s office of anything she could think of. The Commissioners immediately jumped for the one with the shady past, Stamey’s statements, and they decided to investigate the County Treasurer’s office, not just for the time Stamey was running the office, with money locked in her drawer, which would seem logical, but in their usual strange actions they decided to have it investigated throughout the time it was being run honestly and smoothly, and correctly, and maybe they will include the time of Stamey’s short, but much too long, time in office.
Oh, yes, what about the Commissioners, are we not to investigate them for the decisions they have made affecting the Ravalli County citizens and their motives for those whom they put in not only the Treasurer’s office but the Planning Board Office, as well.
The citizens’ money has possibly been put in jeopardy by their strange choices. They absolutely knew Stamey had no experience for the job of Treasurer. Yet, it was expected that the employees who already worked there were to do not only their work, but the work of someone who knew nothing. How very frustrating it must have been for the employees to have her constantly sit back and add no help but always confusion to work that had been done smoothly and honestly.
Valerie Stamey had a private office, a private desk, with a private drawer, according to the newspaper it was found that “Hey, missing checks and some cash resided there.” That is, of course, when the Commissioners finally decided that perhaps they should check it out.
The office of Treasurer had run smoothly and honestly for at least 16 years with JoAnne Johnson first serving as Chief Deputy, and then as Ravalli County Treasurer. JoAnne Johnson met every deadline, and there were no towns that did not receive their funds at the proper time. The heads of the cities, fire departments, Sheriff’s office, and every other
of the entities which receive money from the County were solidly behind JoAnne Johnson. JoAnne has always loved and respected the people of Ravalli County. She was born and raised in Corvallis and has been loved and respected by all.
Valerie Stamey was a part of the Ravalli Republican Central Committee. The Treasurer’s office has nothing to do with politics.
When the first one, Mary Hudson Smith, was elected as Treasurer in 2012, the one elected couldn’t do the job, so she quit.
At that time, the Commissioners made an effort to replace her with Stamey, but no, Stamey hadn’t lived here long enough.
A notice was then put out, “come one, come all” to apply for the job of Treasurer. JoAnne Johnson could have been selected to return as County Treasurer, as it was up to the Commissioners at that time. But, no, instead someone of the Commissioners tried to say JoAnne hadn’t trained her staff. Of course she had!
That was Marie Keeton, JoAnne Johnson’s Deputy Treasurer. Who was it then, that the Commissioners put into office? Of course, not the one who trained her, which they could have done, but, instead the one JoAnne Johnson had trained, her Deputy.
There had been many pleadings to the Commissioners by mail, e-mails, and letters, to put JoAnne Johnson back as Treasurer. Those pleas were ignored.
The people who had worked for JoAnne loved her because of her devotion to her employees, who had become devoted friends, as well as her devotion to the citizens of Ravalli County. Marie Keeton, and the other employees, came to JoAnne, pleading for her to come back to work with them, and for that reason, this time, instead of Treasurer she became Marie Keeton’s Chief Deputy. When Marie Keeton had to leave because of personal reasons, the door was now open for Valerie Stamey, with those wonderful personal problems, and no training or experience. But, she had now lived in the County long enough to meet that legal requirement. So, of course, she was hired.
When Stamey could NOT do the job, and she expected the others to do it for her, the Commissioners said, we will send help to her. Then when she still couldn’t do the job, she began blaming the employees who worked under her. Valerie Stamey made them miserable. She couldn’t accomplish any of her own work. Time for JoAnne and the others to look for different employment. When they found it, they left. JoAnne had worked a total of approximately 24 years, with 18 years as Deputy Treasurer and Ravalli County Treasurer. Not easy to leave a place where you were respected by all, JoAnne Johnson is a woman of great honesty and integrity with a heart which cares for others.
Earla Johnson
Hamilton