The Republican caucus of the Ulster County Legislature is calling upon county executive Jen Metzger to withdraw the nomination of former Democratic legislator Eve Walter as county public health director. They questioned the motivations behind the retirement of former health commissioner Dr. Carol Smith.
In a letter dated September 24, the GOP caucus said it had found that Dr. Smith had retired after being told by Metzger to reapply for her position. Had this fact been known, the caucus letter claimed, voting on Local Law No. 3 of 2024, which removed the requirement that the county health department be run by a physician, might have gone differently.
“One of the key arguments made in favor of approving Local Law No. 3 was the perceived difficulty of locating a qualified physician to fill the role,” argued the GOP caucus. “However, Dr. Carol Smith, a licensed and highly qualified physician with extensive experience, was right here in Ulster County, serving effectively in this position. Had the legislature been fully aware of the true nature of her retirement, it is highly unlikely that this argument would have been persuasive, or that Local Law No. 3 would have passed at all.”
Had the legislators known the true nature of Dr. Smith’s retirement, ”the justification for passing the law would have held weight,” the GOP minority reasoned. “The entire process now appears compromised by the lack of transparency, and it raises serious concerns about the motivations behind both Dr. Smith’s departure and the subsequent changes to the Ulster County Charter. The culmination of these developments is the nomination of Eve Walter to serve as public health director.”
Though the Republicans said they “respect Ms. Walter’s commitment to public service, the process leading to her nomination has been overshadowed by these issues of transparency. It seems increasingly apparent that the goal all along was to facilitate Ms. Walter’s appointment, which raises further questions about the motivations driving these decisions.”
The letter asked for a search for a licensed physician to lead the health department. “The health and safety of our residents depend on the leadership of someone with the medical expertise necessary to guide our county through its public-health challenges, and the legislature should have been fully informed before making such a critical decision.”
In a statement responding to the GOP caucus, Metzger, a Democrat, said that Walter was the best candidate for the role, adding that had an equally qualified challenger emerged, she would have chosen them instead given the potential for politicization.
Just as there was no way she would advantage Dr. Walter in the hiring process, Metzger continued, “There is also no way I would bypass the best candidate for the job simply because of the politics of optics.”
Appointing Walter as health commissioner was within her purview as county executive, and she stood by her decision, she said.
“My job is to protect the welfare of our residents by ensuring that our government is staffed with the best, most qualified people in every position,” Metzger said. There was no question in her mind that Dr. Walter was the best candidate for Ulster County health director. She had been vetted and approved for this position by the state health commissioner.
In March of this year, Metzger announced the retirement of Smith later that month after her nearly two consecutive six-year terms as health commissioner.
On Friday, September 13, Metzger appointed Walter as Smith’s replacement, pending confirmation by the legislature. That confirmation vote is expected to be on the agenda at the next meeting of the legislature, scheduled for Tuesday, October 15.
Walter is an epidemiologist and the director of research and evaluation at AllianceChicago, as well as an associate professor of research at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine. The former Democratic legislator left that post nearly a year and a half ago due to increased job responsibilities.
In May 2023, Metzger and former legislature chair Tracey Bartels sought the removal of the licensed-physician provision from the county charter, citing difficulties in finding doctors who would take on the role.
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