Commissioner Miller Speaks Out On Being Locked Out

Lincoln County Commissioner Casey Miller has broken his silence about a months-long workplace dispute that effectively removed him from being able to use his office at the Board of Commissioners Office at the County Courthouse since September last year. The conflict with staff started after Miller raised questions during his commissioner's report at a public meeting regarding tansparency and public meeting laws. The next day Miller was notified of an anonymous complaint by the county's HR department, which directed him to stop working in the office and prohibited him from attending management team meetings. The county initiated an investigation into Miller's conduct by an outside law firm.

An extensive investigation was conducted by Miller Nash law firm out of Portland in December that concluded three key findings: Miller did not harass or bully staff, but was found to have potentially released confidential information and might have impacted the county's reputation. Miller was told by HR that he needed to meet with a leadership consultant, in order to be allowed back to his office. Despite the investigation's largely favorable outcome, Miller said he was unexpectedly locked out of the county offices in February.

Miller said this was a surprise to him as he was not informed by HR or anyone else that his key card would no longer work. Miller said he was surprised as there was no precedent at this point to lock him out of the office. "So What's strange about it is that you'd think if I was locked out, I would have been locked out during the investigation" Miller said. "Not after the investigation determined that I did not bully and harass. So that is unusual, and you know, to me, very unprofessional."

To continue conducting county business, since his exhile from the commissioners office Miller has been working from home and has resorted to meeting department heads and the pubic in local cafes and creating public videos to maintain constituent communication. The HR director on May 16th offered Miller a separate office in Newport, which he views as an inadequate solution that breaks the traditional collaborative county office model. Miller has proactively attended multiple leadership and HR training sessions and met with consultants, demonstrating his commitment to professional development.

Miller expressed willingness to participate in public or executive sessions to address any remaining concerns and restore full functionality to his role as county commissioner. Miller has indicated that he is not willing to take a separate office away from the courthouse. He feels that the county paying for a separate office is not cost-effective, especially when there are potential budget shortfalls and it won't work to solve the problem.

"I would like to go through mediation and do whatever is necessary to get back to a collaborative working environment," Miller said. "If there are still issues that are unresolved, giving me a separate office is not an indication that this issue is taken care of." Miller continues to be available to the public and county leadership and is looking forward to putting these issues in the rear-view mirror to move forward in a positive direction for the county. When asked the county had no comment at this time.