Wednesday’s The Ironton Tribune editorial about Commissioner Jason Stephens and I not attending the office holders’ work session is simply The Tribune misunderstanding how the Tuesday work sessions are run because frequently The Tribune does not cover the Tuesday meetings.

We started the Tuesday work sessions when I first took office. Tuesdays are the Commissioners workshop meetings. These meetings provide the public and other entities a way to adress the Commission with ideas or a time to discuss problems they may have.

These Tuesday work sessions have been at 9 a.m. until everyone has been addressed for nearly six years. Several times during this period we have broke out into groups to assist the people in a timely manner. The meeting in question had approximately 20 people present at 9 a.m.

As the Commission president, I take full responsibility for dividing up and taking care of each group.

My group consisted of two board members representing our Veterans Office. A group from Applewood Subdivision and Rome Township, the Corps of Engineers from Hunington, W.Va., ODOT Superintendent Cecil Townsend, CAO’s Ralph Kline and Cindy Anderson to discuss drainage problems and solutions in that area. Most of the people traveled a half-hour or more to get to the Courthouse.

I think those people deserved our full and courteous attention and I’m quite certain our veterans have earned it.

The groups I took care of Tuesday took a little more than two hours. After all the groups had left, the commissioners got together and discussed each matter.

Although Tuesday’s meeting was an excellent and productive meeting, as they usually are, no action can be taken until our Thursday regular meeting that The Ironton Tribune frequently attends.

Although any matter may fall upon a commissioner at any given time, whether it be on the streets or at home, no one commissioner can resolve the issue, but must be presented to all commissioners to resolve as a board.

Doug Malone is the president of the Lawrence County Commission.