ORLEANS – The embattled vice chairman of the Orleans Board of Health has resigned.
Augusta McKusick wrote a letter to the Orleans Town Clerk giving her official resignation.
“This was a job I dearly loved, along with you and the wonderful health office staff. But I also love my town, and so as of today, June 5, I am resigning my position,” she wrote.
The Orleans Board of Selectmen voted earlier this week to ask both McKusick and board of health chairman, Job Taylor III, to resign because of their behavior at a meeting on May 21.
It was the first meeting of new board of health member David Currier.
During the meeting, which was recorded, McKusick and Taylor can be heard denigrating Currier during the meeting, both when he is at the table and when he is out of the room.
Board of Health seats are elected positions, so selectmen have no power to remove a member from the board. But after word got out about the meeting, which can be viewed on the town’s website, numerous Orleans residents contacted selectmen to complain. Residents also attended this week’s board of health meeting and the selectmen’s meeting to speak out against McKusick and Taylor.
