KINGMAN – At its meeting on Wednesday, May 5, the Hospital District Board voted unanimously to re-hire the previous recording secretary, Catherine Furtado, apparently without advertising the position or even an application and interview.
At its March 10 meeting, the board appointed Margie Hoff to train with Billy Neal, the recording secretary provided by KHI/KRMC. No announcement was made by board members as to Hoff declining the offer.
Upon my inquiry, Hoff advised that she declined the position due to tax liability as a self-employed person. The board, however, is paying Furtado as an employee and withholding for taxes. They changed the title of the position to Executive Assistant and increased the hourly rate from $35 to $40.
The current board members refuse to answer questions except by e-mail or a public records request (which was filed by this journalist on May 11 and included several questions as well as a request for the March, 2026 Balance Sheet Summary for the District which was not available at the April meeting). There is a statutory15-day deadline for response.
When Furtado was asked point blank by Newmyer in the open meeting why she resigned, Furtado said, “I just really don’t want to address that right now. But you and I can talk afterwards if you like, and we can go over it then.
“But as far as re-hashing what happened in the past, I think we need to let that go. I am here at the request of several of your board. They searched me out, I didn’t search them out. So, you and I can talk afterwards if you like, but right now I would like to just bury it.”
Newmyer was not deterred and continued to press the point until an apology of sorts was issued by Furtado.
“I apologize if I ever made you feel uncomfortable or making you feel anxious or however you felt as it was a very difficult situation and a difficult board,” she said. “I let that get the best of me and I did not maintain my professionalism as I should have and I can work with you … I can understand my fault and my responsibility and the role I played; as I am sure other board members, I hope that they can see the error of their ways and judgments as well.”
Dr. Newmyer, who has in the past shown herself to be thoughtful and polite, accepted the apology and said she can work with Furtado and then voted with the majority.
Both former board member Daniel Valentine and Newmyer were criticized and bullied regarding their dissenting votes on certain agenda items. Valentine received disrespectful e-mails from Furtado suggesting that he should resign. Chairman Holden also suggested that he resign. In her resignation letter, Furtado stated that Valentine and Newmyer should not be allowed to know where the records room is or be allowed to enter it. She did not give a reason.
Tacheron, then candidate for the board, in 2024 joined in the fray during the call to the public: “I have never seen so much bad behavior by people who feel that they belong on this board…you (Valentine) clearly do not. You are disruptive … I am appalled at some of the behavior I have seen…I have never seen you once do anything proactive, productive …” Other board members failed, at each juncture, to intervene and stop the bullying of the two board members.
Included in the questions on the PRR (Public Records Request) was: “Which board members contacted Catherine Furtado about the position and when did they do so?”
Directly after the April 17 meeting, Chairman Tacheron and Board Member Teresa Boegler were observed having a conversation with Furtado in the hospital cafeteria. On May 5th Furtado was offered and accepted the job which she says she didn’t apply for.
Two board members do not constitute a quorum; however, those kinds of meetings are usually frowned upon by attorneys due to even the appearance of impropriety. Perhaps the timing of the conversation and the job offer was coincidental.
Newmyer, who did not see the agenda until it was final, stated that she was surprised that it was on the agenda to hire Furtado and thought the Open Meeting Law training was going to be the only item on the agenda.
Becky Foster
