Bobby Jackson looks at fellow board member, Chad Taylor, as he asks questions during a special Twin Transit meeting in December, 2018 in Chehalis.
Lewis County Commissioner Bobby Jackson stepped down from his position as chair of the Twin Transit Advisory Board on Friday, two days after a tort claim filed by a Twin Transit employee named Jackson personally as well as the advisory board.
“In the weeks following the county-wide expansion effort, Twin Transit has experienced some very rough times,” Jackson said in a written statement. “I, with the blessing of the board have attempted to do everything I could to right the ship, but it has become clear that it is time for new leadership to step in and move the organization forward in hopes of a more positive atmosphere for the employees and customers alike.”
Jackson has been serving as the de facto head of Twin Transit for the past month, following the resignation of then-general manager Derrick Wojcik-Damers. He has come under fire this week for comments made publicly about future expansion of the Lewis Public Transit Benefit Area. His conduct is also part of an investigation into Twin Transit by the state Public Disclosure Commission.
Jackson represented the Board of Lewis County Commissioners, of which he is the chair, on the advisory board. It is not clear at this time which of the other two commissioners, Edna Fund or Gary Stamper, will replace him. Jackson did not respond to a request for comment.
Chad Taylor, who represents the Chehalis City Council on the advisory board, said he was unaware of Jackson’s plan to step down until being contacted by The Chronicle Thursday.
Taylor added that he looks forward to the board continuing to move forward, serving the community with transparency and honesty, and that he remains excited for the future of Twin Transit.
Stamper said Friday that while it would be practical for Fund to replace Jackson on the Twin Transit board, that discussion had not taken yet taken place. He and Fund were not aware of Jackson’s plan to step down prior to a report by The Chronicle published late Thursday night.
“I was surprised, but not surprised by his decision,” Fund said. “I know (Jackson) probably had to take a long time to think about that and the future of Twin Transit without him as one of the players there. I’m sure it weighed on his mind.”
It is not known whether Jackson’s replacement would chair the board, or if that role would initially fall to Centralia City Councilor Rebecca Staebler, who currently serves as vice chair. The Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to hold a public meeting about Twin Transit at 3 p.m. Monday, with Twin Transit expected to hold a special meeting on Tuesday.
Fund and Stamper both said they hope to fill the vacancy as soon as possible, citing the need for a full board to be able to vet and interview potential replacements for Wojcik-Damers. Taylor said he does not expect any board member to replace Jackson as quasi-interim manager prior to a new hire.
“Before any decision is made, we’re going to have to get the thoughts of not only Commissioner Fund, but Commissioner Jackson as well,” Stamper said. “I think it will be a healthy discussion. We’ll see what happens and what direction we need to go. Obviously, there are two other board members at Twin Transit as well, so there will be input from the other parties before a decision is made.”
Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney Jonathan Meyer confirmed Friday that Jackson resigning his position would not affect the status of the tort claim filed by driver Alison Meyn seeking $10,000 in damages from Jackson and the same amount from Twin Transit.
Meyn alleges Jackson failed to protect her and other employees when he brought Wojcik-Damers onto agency property despite a directive from the board that he work from home and avoid contact with the staff while under investigation for complaints made by employees, including Meyn, who said prior to Jackson stepping down that him doing so wouldn’t lead her to drop the claim.
“I did it because something needs to change over here,” Meyn said. “(Jackson) isn’t going to suddenly step up now. I would like him to realize he can’t ignore what he did, acting like nothing was wrong and continually telling us to just put the past in the past.”
Jackson spoke as a county commissioner in favor of a ballot measure last fall that would have expanded the LPTBA to cover all of Lewis County except Napavine and installed a two-tenths of one percent sales tax to pay for said expansion. The measure failed, and Twin Transit is the subject of an open investigation by the state Public Disclosure Commission for alleged improper use of public funds for campaign purposes.
Jackson received an email from Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney Jonathan Meyer last summer stating the attorney’s belief that materials paid for by Twin Transit crossed the line from informational to slanted in favor of the measure. It is being considered as part of the PDC investigation. Jackson has stated publicly, including in Winlock, that Twin Transit relied on consulting firm Nelson\Nygaard to produce the materials in question in a lawful manner.
“I am disappointed in the fact that the measure failed, however, I respect and honor the decision of the voters and will continue to serve the citizens of Lewis County in any way I possibly can,” Jackson wrote in his statement of resignation. “My hope is that Twin Transit will be able to bring in the right leadership for the future. I want nothing but the best for every employee as they continue to provide quality transportation to the community.”
