Safety/Service Director's arrest a sad ending to a dismal first year

The Sunday evening arrest and subsequent incarceration of Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Richard D. Giroux is a rather sad ending to a relatively dismal – and divisive – first year for the Hastings/Giroux city government administration.

As reported on Monday morning, Mr. Giroux, 51, was arrested on a charge of OVI (operating a vehicle while impaired) late Sunday evening by the Hillsboro Police Department.

According to court records, Mr. Giroux tested .188 on a DUI Breathalizer test – almost 2 1/2 times the legal limit. He also has at least one prior arrest for DUI.

The city safety and service director is scheduled for an arraignment in Hillsboro Municipal Court at 8 a.m. on Nov. 29.

Mr. Giroux was appointed safety and service director in January 2012 by Hillsboro Mayor Drew Hastings.

The mayor issued the following statement Monday (which was not immediately available to Highland County's only locally owned newspaper): "Over the weekend, Hillsboro Police Department charged Safety Service Director Rick Giroux with DUI. I spoke with Rick, and understandably, he feels very badly about the incident. Knowing Rick and his high standards of professionalism, I'm sure he regrets the mistake and any embarrassment to the city. I want to commend the Hillsboro Police Department for not treating Mr. Giroux any differently than anyone else in similar circumstances."

Shortly thereafter, a few of the mayor's usual supporters busied themselves by patting the administration on the back for its "transparency" and "openness."

The false praise begs the question: Once the arrest was made, what else could the mayor do? Put on a positive spin, of course.

Moreover, by inserting the phrase "high standards of professionalism" to describe the city's safety/service director at the time of the arrest, brings another question: How does this administration determine "high standards of professionalism?"

Without question, the mayor's choice of words left much to be desired. He can talk about "transparency." Most of us, however, can see through such a convenient choice of words.

For instance, where was the admonishment for the city's "safety" director – and chief oversight administrator of the Hillsboro Police Department – for driving drunk?

What would be the city's punishment (non-criminal) for a police officer in a similar situation? Not that long ago, we may recall, a local law enforcement officer lost his job over a similar situation.

Most importantly, what about the real safety concerns for Hillsboro's residents, motorists and pedestrians?

In all his "transparency," the mayor has avoided the more difficult questions.

As this unfortunate episode in city government moves forward, many more questions will arise – and each of them will become increasingly difficult.

How will this arrest impact the city's overall effectiveness in union negotiations with the city's AFSCME employees, police officers and firefighters? Those are three aggressive unions. Chances are, their respective negotiators won't be shy. Leverage is leverage, after all.

How will this arrest impact ongoing negotiations surrounding the city's insurance contracts? Will there be an additional expense to taxpayers should the safety/service director drive a city-owned vehicle?

Eleven months ago, Hillsboro's mayor said of his administrative team: "I think we overdid ourselves. I think we have the best team for turning this city around that could possibly have been assembled. Henry Kissinger, if we could have gotten him, that would have rounded it out, but we couldn't."

Two of those so-called "dream team" members were SSD Richard Giroux and Deputy Law Director Laura Curliss.

One of them has resigned and one of them has been arrested, all in less than a year.

City taxpayers deserve better.

With a number of crucial – and potentially costly – issues on the not-too-distant horizon, the city administration, beginning with the mayor and continuing with members of city council, ought to address this latest incident.

Granted, Hillsboro Municipal Court Judge David McKenna (or perhaps another judge in his stead) will hear the preliminaries of the safety/service director's arrest this week. That's all well and good.

But what about the future representation of the city, its residents, and its taxpayers?

To be sure, this is no laughing matter for those of us who are paying for it.

Rory Ryan is publisher of The Highland County Press.