Employees at the Housing Authority of Montezuma County have spoken out about what they feel is not only unjust treatment by its governing board, but an overall misalignment of values between it and what the authority stands for.
On Jan. 28, the board gave Terri Wheeler, its executive director of 37 years, three days’ notice to leave the organization.
Tammy Samora, who was juggling two other roles, stepped up as interim executive director on May 13, 2023 after Wheeler had a stroke. On Feb. 6, Samora submitted a resignation letter, citing, among other concerns, mistreatment from the Housing Authority’s governing board.
“Without Tammy, I don’t see a future for this place,” said Breana Collins, a housing authority employee. “And Terri made this place so strong. The mission of the housing authority is being washed away and not cared for.”
“The truth is, every employee is about to walk out of that building,” said Collins.
The Housing Authority primarily serves low- to moderate-income families and individuals, plus elderly and handicapped people.
“We believe everyone deserves to have a home of their own. When everyone gets an opportunity to succeed, communities are stronger,” its website reads.
“We are committed to serving eligible applicants with respect, and we will never discriminate against any person.”
It operates 11 properties – plus two commercial ones – in Montezuma, Dolores and La Plata counties.
It also has three kinds of rental assistance programs.
One of those programs is called the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which is rental assistance so tenants “may afford decent, safe and sanitary housing,” according to the Housing Authority website.
Countywide, 262 families take advantage of that program alone.
In Montezuma County – population 26,500 – an estimated 1,000 people rely on its services.
“When I started, we had 130 units,” Wheeler said. “I love my job and what we are able to do for the community, to provide housing for thousands of people. That’s why I’ve stayed all these years.”
Though Wheeler had a stroke and took time off to recover, she returned to work and was “answering the phone as soon as she could speak again,” Samora said.
At a special meeting on Saturday, Feb. 8, Housing Commissioner Rebecca Fraley said Wheeler had notified the board of her intent to retire before her stroke, in March 2023.
The Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the County of Montezuma is composed of Chairman Chris Ludington, Vice Chairman Darlene Floyd, Secretary Orly Lucero, County Commissioner Jim Candelaria and Fraley.
“I did say that,” Wheeler said. “But it’s one of those conversations people have all the time when they say, ‘Oh, I’d like to retire.’”
She said she never submitted anything in writing, and made the comment mostly because she was “tired and needed time off.”
But the board gave her notice anyway, and they barred her from the building except when two board members were present.
“I felt they fired me,” Wheeler said. “They never used that word, but that’s what it felt like.”
Nothing regarding her resignation is in writing, and all Housing Authority board discussions about her employment status were held in executive session as a “personnel matter.”
“At this point, I cannot definitively say one way or another whether Terri has been separated from the organization,” Fraley said to a group of employees in a private meeting Feb. 3.
“That’s the level of, I think, fluctuation that we’re in right now.”
“I’m confused,” said Eric Croke, Wheeler’s brother, at a special board meeting five days later.
“I was at lunch with two board members on Jan. 24 with Terri (Wheeler). They were praising her, offering her continued employment on her terms basically. On the 28th, out of nowhere, she’s given three days’ notice.”
Croke called the treatment “emotional abuse” that has caused setbacks in her recovery.
Plus, since “she still hasn’t received anything in writing,” she isn’t able to get a Medicare supplemental policy “because she hasn’t received anything saying she doesn’t work here anymore,” said Croke.
Put simply, Wheeler did not choose to leave and had no concrete intentions to retire.
At the beginning of February, Samora took a 10-day mental health leave because of the anxiety and stress that has compounded in the past several months.
“They (the board) have bullied Terri and Tammy to no regard,” Collins said. “They’re both completely broken. After every board meeting, they come out in tears.”
During her recent leave, Samora submitted a letter of resignation. The time off wasn’t a well-earned break or a vacation, like board members at the authority had suggested.
“I’m certainly not on vacation,” Samora said. “I’m broken.”
That private meeting on Feb. 3 between employees and Fraley was held with an intention to “make sure everyone is on the same page” about Samora’s absence, Fraley said.
“I know she’s been a major source of support for many of you, so I’d imagine it feels like a really big hole that she’s not here on such short notice,” said Fraley.
“I fully owe my own culpability in the actions I did not take,” she said. “I think we’re here today because of a lack of board cohesion.”
Later on in that meeting, Fraley asked the employees to “direct any media inquiries to Chris (Ludington),” the chairman of the Housing Authority board.
“You want us to keep quiet about how we feel? So that you guys can portray that you’re doing everything you can to ensure that it runs smoothly when we don’t feel that way? We’re the people that run this,” Collins said. “We are hurt, we’re angry, and you’re asking us to put a rag in our mouth and be quiet.”
“I’d like to speak up. There’s a corrupt board that is pushing against everything we do.”
On Saturday, Feb. 8, the board held a special meeting at 3:30 p.m. to have a “discussion regarding employment statuses of Executive Director Wheeler and Interim Executive Director Samora,” according to the agenda.
The board room filled up with employees and tenants, even though the meeting was called almost exactly 24 hours in advance, the minimum time a board must post a meeting notice to comply with Colorado Open Meetings laws.
“Yes, it came down to the wire, which isn’t my intention,” said Fraley.
“Given how much hangs in balance in this meeting,” the board worked all day Friday to ensure the “agenda appropriately addressed what would be discussed today,” which is why they posted notice so late, Fraley said.
A handful of people spoke out during public comment, which kick-started the meeting.
Collins announced that she wanted to “speak on behalf of people who are unable to be present today,” namely Wheeler and Samora.
“Terri was fired despite comments that she was not,” Collins said. “She was treated like a criminal by this board and told that she was not allowed to walk in the building without two other board members present.”
“Tammy has been bullied relentlessly for the past few months,” Collins said, which led her to put in a resignation notice.
A community member brought up a comment made by Candelaria in October that offended employees, but he said was taken out of context.
At that Oct. 29 board meeting, Samora presented a bid for a vinyl fencing project at one of their properties, a project already established in a five-year capital fund projects plan.
“Candelaria stated that $175 per linear foot for vinyl fencing was an exorbitant amount of money,” according to meeting minutes.
The material had already been purchased so that the property would “blend into the community,” the minutes read.
Samora added, “The tenants deserve a nice place to call home.”
“Commissioner Candelaria stated that they (tenants) don’t deserve anything,” according to the minutes.
In response, Housing Authority employee Martika Myers echoed what Samora had said, about how the whole point was to have it match fences at other properties. Plus, the existing fence was falling down. It needed to be replaced.
“Do you know what properties are ours, by chance?” Myers asked in an interview with The Journal.
“No? See, that’s where we differ from a lot of housing authorities, because of Terri and Tammy. They have made it to where they’re not eyesores, and put their hearts into making them look good and decent and safe for the community.”
A tenant named Janis spoke during public comment next.
“Tammy spends more time in the Housing Authority offices than she does in her own home,” Janis said. “She knows each and every person in all of these buildings. You can go to her any time. You couldn’t find better people to run it.”
Another tenant, Ashly Miller, remembered the night her husband died, and how Samora went to her home and stayed with her.
“I was pregnant at the time, living in a camper. She helped me get into new place,” Miller said. “She’s been there for me in a way I feel humans need to be there for one another.”
After public comment, the board went into executive session “to receive legal advice on specific legal questions related to personnel policies, compliance with Colorado law and employment law questions.”
The executive session lasted about an hour.
When the public meeting resumed, Fraley made a motion to rescind the board’s action on Jan. 30 that changed Wheeler’s “employment status to that of a part-time employee through Feb. 6 and rather consider her a full-time employee till end of day Feb. 9, the end of current pay period.”
The motion carried, and the board recognized its “lack of clear and concise communication” and how it “would be incredibly unfair to Terri.”
“It wasn’t written, it was verbalized, which was a fault of the board,” said Candelaria.
With that, as of Feb. 10, Fraley made a motion to have Wheeler “continue to be employed by the Housing Authority as a part-time employee at an hourly rate equivalent to her current salary, up to 14 hours per week … (for) up to three months.”
“I’m firmly in the opinion that we are here because of incredibly poor communication. It’s incredibly important that she leaves on her own terms,” Fraley added.
The motion carried.
As far as Samora goes, Fraley made a motion that the board approach her and “entertain conversation about whether she’d be willing to negotiate an employment contract for the executive director role (with) agreeable terms to her and the board.”
They had been looking to cast a wide net to fill the executive director position for the first time in nearly 40 years.
Fraley said she had thought Samora would apply for the role, but in the “last six to eight weeks, there was a breakdown in communication between the board and her.”
“She was left feeling,” Fraley said, pausing. “There was a question in her mind as to whether we wanted her to apply for this job.”
“It has become clear to me in the last two weeks that we stand a very real possibility of losing Tammy from this organization,” she said.
Samora said the board had been unwilling to offer her job security even while she worked as interim director and as assistant director and property manager.
Fraley suggested that, in that motion, Samora be given the opportunity to “put her full energy toward the executive director role,” and find other people to staff her other two jobs.
Because Samora had submitted a resignation letter, it was decided that such an action was “premature” and Fraley would reach out to Samora to see whether she would consider rescinding her resignation first.
“I feel like it’s 100% a cover-up,” Collins said. “The board is trying to save their own asses and appease the public. I don’t think they expected there’d be such a fight.”
It’s unclear whether Wheeler or Samora will return, and several employees said they would submit resignation letters.
“The board is a big problem,” Samora said. “I don’t want to convey they’re all bad, cause they’re not. But his (Candelaria’s) voice is so loud, it’s like everyone just conforms to what he says.”
She said she’s “not interested in working with or for a person that does not align with our mission statement or the purpose we serve.” Several employees expressed that same sentiment, and three resigned Feb. 18.
