OPEN LETTER FROM JULIE DOLE August 10, 2017 Hello, I am Julie Dole. As you may have heard, I have been and continue to be accused of inappropriate conduct in my work in the Salt Lake County Recorder's Office. These accusations are false and unfounded. I would like to appeal to you, the public, to clear my name in response to all the political grandstanding which has led us to this point. Ihave done my utmost to execute the duties of my Oath of Office both as Chief Deputy and now as Recorder for Salt Lake County, and to serve the best interests of all of you as property holders and the public of Salt Lake County. On a personal note, I am a single mother of two amazing children, continually balancing the duties of my Office while tending to the needs of my family. During these challenging times, I am also winning my battle with breast cancer and will soon be fully recovered This open letter is to provide you my response to the Salt Lake County GOP. Circumstances of the former Recorder were unfortunate, but did not come about by or through me. You decide. 1 feel I have been treated unfairly, and if you agree then I ask you to express your feelings to those accusing me of wrongdoing. Feel free to contact me anytime. I’m still working ‘round the clock for you. Sincerely, Julie Dole Salt Lake County Recorder licanndole@gmail.com 801.699.7987 mobile (text or call) @JulieDole on FacebookAugust 9, 2017 Salt Lake County Republican Party c/o Helen Redd, Chairperson RegionChairE@sleogop.com Dear Ms. Redd, 1am in receipt of your mailed notice dated August 3, 2017 and signed for by my daughter on Monday, August 7, 2017. Four things about your notice are quite concerning to me. First, you reference alleged dishonesty and alleged violations of the Utah Republican Party platform, but you provide no quotes from me proving these accusations to be true. Second, you reference “published news stories” as a primary source of evidence, again without providing specific quotes from me that would support the alleged violations. Third, you make allegations that I am guilty of these violations, but go one step further to conclude that even if | am not guilty, I will be found guilty because the party believes I “have the appearance of impropriety’. Fourth, you say that you “welcome...testimony” to “fully hear [my] side of the story”, but you then contradict this by stating that “only [I] will be allowed to address or present evidence to the committee.” It appears that you have set up this investigation to find me guilty regardless of what evidence or testimony I may supply, to make sure that I am tarnished beyond repair in advance of the Recorder Special Election. Despite the unfair and uneven playing field that you have established, I will state my innocence of any wrongdoing and declare that I am not guilty of the things I was accused of at the surprise censure last year (which was made without any notice to me or sufficient opportunity to be heard) and which you continue to accuse me of. I will happily meet with the committee and offer up staff around their available schedules to meet with you, as well, to clear my name. During my time as Gary Ott’s Chief Deputy Recorder there were signs that Gary was diminishing, but I personally had no hard evidence as to exactly what his issues were either mentally, physically or medically. Any attempt by me to raise concerns to anyone other than Gary Ott himself and County legal teams would not have been appropriate in my role as his Chief Deputy Recorder. I had received no authority or permission to speak to Gary’s personal challenges without being in violation of his personal privacy, as well as the obligation of confidentiality contained in my job description (a copy of which is attached).Indeed, my understanding is that even Gary’s personal physician, a person with much more medical expertise than I, would have been under such an obligation of confidentiality. Only Gary’s caregivers had knowledge of intimate details concerning Gary's personal life and medical conditions and at no time was I ever made specifically aware of any such details. I had no desire to make Gary Ott a public spectacle or drag his good reputation through the mud. Unfortunately, the press has. done that anyway. I did try to speak to Gary directly and encouraged him to resign often, but I was not successfull in convincing him to do so. It was personally difficult for me to watch Gary diminish over time but at no time did I see any pathway to discuss or reveal my suspicions without personally damaging Gary Ott’s reputation for integrity and his public standing within the community, as well as violating the requirement of my position and job description, to maintain a confidential relationship with Gary. My obligation then and now has always been to maintain the operations of the Salt Lake County’s Recorder's Office in Gary Ott’s absence at the highest levels of professionalism, pursuant to the Statute and job description for which I was and continue to be accountable. It was a bad situation, but I was obligated to adhere to my Oath of Office, Statute and County policies. My hands were tied, just like you've heard the County Mayor, the County Council, the County District Attorney, and the State Attorney General describe their positions with respect to the same situation. We hoped that Gary was in good hands, but only Gary and his caregivers had the ability to change the situation. My responsibility was to keep the Office running and meeting statutory requirements, not to be Gary’s caregiver or medical advisor. Gary Ott was an honorable and diligent Recorder. Now that his issues have been more or less addressed, | feel that I can speak more freely but I cannot and will not attempt to defend myself or my actions to any organization at his expense. Despite what the press has accused me of I have never attempted to manipulate or otherwise control Gary Ott. As for my being accused of an attempted “coup”, such accusations are ludicrous. By Statute (a copy of which is attached), job description, and oath I had all authority, and indeed a duty, to act in Gary Ott’s absence. It was my job to keep the Office running.Your accusations are self-contradictory. On the one hand, by calling my actions a “coup” to “seize...control of the... Recorder's Office,” you are implying that I should not have done my job, which was to do whatever work was delegated to me and run the Office in Gary’s absence. On the other hand, by claiming or implying that I should have breached my duty of confidentiality in an effort to force Gary out, you are in effect claiming that the “coup” should have happened much sooner. You can’t have it both ways. I request that this committee provide specific quotes from me that support your allegations of dishonesty and platform violations. I also request a meeting with the committee in order to clear my name. In preparing for this meeting, I would suggest that each committee member put him- or herself in my place and ask the following questions: ‘What would I have done differently?” “What could I have done differently given the confidentiality requirements of my job and the requirements placed on me by Statute?” “If that course had been pursued, how would it or could it have made the current situation any better?” Respectfully, Salt Lake County Recorder 801.699.7987 mobile julicanndole@gmail.com enclosures: Salt Lake County Job Description Chief Deputy Recorder Utah State Statute 17-38-82, Salt Lake County Job Description SALT LAKE COUNTY Chief Deputy - Recorder HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT: Recorder's Office DIVISION: Recorder/8800 JOB CODE: 012 GRADE: 01 FLSA STATUS: Exempt SALARY PLAN: GEN EFFECTIVE DATE: 10/15/2015 SAFETY SENSITIVE: No JOB SUMMARY Directs, plans, oversees, and evaluates all programs and services for the departmentidivision. Performs high level gly development and inplementaton-Wenkstslose ener reatonstip Whine eles (rc —s RECOMMENDED QUALIFICATIONS Master's degree from an accredited college or university in a related field, plus six (6) years of related ‘experience in a position of progressively responsible experience including management, leadership, budgetary or project management, of which four (4) years must have been supervisory or in a leadership role; OR an equivalent combination of related education and experience. Education may not be substituted for the required supervisory experience. Additional minimum qualifications may be dependent upon licensure or certification related to specific job duties and responsibilities ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS ‘The folowing duties and responsibilities are intended to be representative ofthe work performed by the incumbent{s) inthis postion {and are not alinclusive. The omission of specfic duties and responsibilies vill not preciude it fom the position. Applicants must be prepared to demonstrate the ably to perform the essential functions ofthe job with or without a reasonable ‘accommodation + Plans, directs, and monitors the activities of the agency to achieve efficient operations and meet internal and external organization and service goals. + Develops, implements, and prioritizes agency and county wide programs and projects to enhance services, control costs, and resolve problems. ‘+ Develops and implements work standards and administrative policies and procedures. ‘+ Identifies future needs of the agency and County and establishes long-term goals. ‘+ Develops strategies to meet changing needs, address problems, prioritize objectives, and improve services promoting stakeholder and community involvement. ‘+ Represents the Elected Official, the agency, and the County before a variety of internal and external stakeholders. * Coordinates agency's administrative operations with internal and external agencies. ‘+ Administers the budget and fiscal process of the agency in support of the County's fiscal objectives and priorities. Page 1 of 3‘* Supervises staff, which includes hiring, orienting, training, assigning and reviewing work performance, annual work performance appraisals, and discipline. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSA) Knowledge of: ‘+ Recording acts and the functions of the Recorder's Office ‘+ Principles, practices, and methods of budget development and administration ‘+ Basic accounting and fiscalinancial management ‘+The real estate/mortgage industry, the housing industry, land records management industry, and related economic trends ‘+ Geographic information systems (GIS) technology and its application to Recorder mapping functions including coordinate geometry (COGO) applications and applied trigonometry * Strategic planning, goal setting, and program development and implementation * Social, political, and environmental issues influencing public agency program administration * Principles of human resource management and development, leadership, and team building * Applicable Federal, State, and local laws, codes, and regulations related to the County and agency ‘+ Interrelationships between community, County, and agency programs Skills and Abilities to: + Provide executive direction for a diverse organization ‘* Administer a variety of large and complex governmental services and programs ‘Interpret and apply policies to solve complex problems * Exercise sound independent judgment within general policy guidelines ‘+ Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing ‘+ Interpret, summarize, and present a variety of complex data and information to diverse ai ‘* Establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal staff and the public ‘+ Meet customer expectations and resolve customer service problems ‘+ Lead and work in a team environment MEN ‘Work duties are typically performed in a general office setting. IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THIS POSITION This is an appointed at-will position without tenure and is exempt from the career service system. Page 20f3Revised 01/16/2017 Page 3 of3Utah Code 17-33-8 Career service -- Exempt positions. (1) The career service: (a) is a permanent service to which this chapter applies; and (b) comprises all tenured county positions in the public service, except: (i) subject to Subsection (2): (A) the county executive, members of the county legislative body, and other elected officials; and (B) each major department head charged directly by the county legislative body, or by a board appointed by the county legislative body, with the responsibility of assisting to formulate and carry out policy matters; (ii) one confidential secretary for each elected county officer and major department head, if a confidential secretary is assigned; (ii) an administrative assistant to the county executive, each member of the county legislative body, and each elected official, if an administrative assistant is assigned; (v) subject to Subsection (3), a person who is: (A) appointed by an elected county officer to be a division director, to administer division functions in furtherance of the performance of the elected officer's professional duties; (B) in a confidential relationship with the elected county officer; and (C) not in a law enforcement rank position of captain or below; (vi) each person employed to make or conduct a temporary and special inquiry, investigation, or examination on behalf of the county legislative body or one of its committees; (vii) each noncareer employee: (A) compensated for the employee's services on a seasonal or contractual basis; and (B) hired on emergency or seasonal appointment basis, as approved by the council; and (vii) each provisional employee, as defined by the county's policies and procedures or its rules and regulations; (ix) each part-time employee, as defined by the county's policies and procedures or its rules and regulations; (x) each employee appointed to perform: (A) work that does not exceed three years in duratio (B) work with limited funding; and (xi) each position that, by its confidential or key policy-determining nature, cannot or should not be appropriately included in the career service. (2) Before a position under Subsection (1)(b)(i) may be changed from its current status to exempt or tenured, the career service council shall, after giving due notice, hold a public hearing on the proposed change of status. (3) (a) Subsection (1)(b)(v) may not be construed to cause a person serving as a nonexempt employee on May 5, 2008 in a position described in that subsection to lose the nonexempt status. (b) The elected county officer in a supervisory position over an employee described in Subsection (3)(a) shall work with the county's office of personnel management to develop financial and other incentives to encourage a nonexempt employee to convert voluntarily to exempt status. 4) : Page tUtah Code (a) Rules and regulations promulgated under this chapter shall list by job ttle and department, office or agency, each position designated as exempt under Subsection (1)(b)(xi). (b) A change in exempt status of a position designated as being exempt under Subsection (1)(b) (xi) constitutes an amendment to the rules and regulations promulgated under this chapter. Amended by Chapter 25, 2008 General Session Amended by Chapter 172, 2008 General Session Page 2