Chairman Brant;

Thank you for listening to my concerns and the frank discussions we have had regarding the
direction of the Monroe County Mental Health Authority. Under the leadership of then-Chairman
Lievens, the Monroe County Board appointed me to the MCMHA Board of Directors in late 2019 to fill a
vacancy on that board caused by the unfortunate reality of a community friend and board member
diagnosed with terminal cancer; I accepted the appointment. Subsequently, I was elected to the Monroe
County Board of Commissioners yet stayed on the MCMHA Board. Since my tenure on that board, as we
have discussed, there have been three different board chairpersons, an executive director that stepped
down from that position then re-filled the job when the internal replacement’s (former Chief Operating
Officer) background check failed. This person was not qualified and should not have been hired in the
first place. This resulted in the hire of a new Chief Operating Officer who was subsequently terminated
for inappropriate workplace behavior. That position is currently still unfilled. During this same time
frame, the Chief Financial Officer retired early under pressure, and his replacement was terminated for
behavioral issues. A third CFO has been hired as well as an external consultant at a rate of $500/hour
(approximately $1 million annually) to help train and direct the finance and executive team.

It has been my pleasure and it has been incredibly impressive to see the hard work and
determination of the workforce of the Monroe County MHA. The “boots on the street” workers have
endeavored through the Covid pandemic in the worst of conditions with a passion and concern for the
suffering. They, like many other first responders, are underpaid and overworked. Last year, amid all of
this, one of these employees sent a letter to the board and executive director regarding the
shortcomings of the leadership of the organization, low morale, and other issues. Legal counsel was
necessitated, and many questions were attempted to be answered in a confused environment. I give
Chairman Mike Humphries much credit for the metaphorical navigation of a ship maneuvering in such
turbulent waters…

One of the difficulties of serving on this board is that board members are discouraged from
talking to employees without going through the executive director (in fact, prohibited). However, when
concerned employees (i.e., team members) are looking for help or solution to a problem,
discouragement can be the resultant phenomenon. In addition, the board has sent literally hundreds of
emails to one another with disparaging comments, personal attacks, and other derogatory remarks for
which I have no time nor interest in participating.

Listening to my constituents and working together to solve the community’s problems has
always been a goal of mine in public service. Therefore, since the Board of Commissioners already has
an appointed member of the Monroe County Mental Health Authority (Commissioner Dawn Asper), I
officially resign my position on the MCMHA Board, effective March 31, 2023. This will give you ample
time to nominate a replacement and this time frame coincides with the other four positions that expire
March 31, 2023.

Thank you,

Commissioner Randy Richardville

P.S., For the record, I believe the current mental health crisis transcends Monroe County and the state
of Michigan. We have a broken system desperately IN NEED OF REPAIR. Mediocrity is not a standard
that the state of Michigan nor the County of Monroe can condone. As Executive Director of Oaks of
Village, I have seen up-close preventable tragedies regarding the severely mentally challenged. Monroe
County has never had a 24/7 Crisis Stabilization Unit or overnight program for the chronically
challenged. We need more than a local hospital solution with already bottlenecked emergency rooms.
We need a “mental health emergency room” like some of our neighboring counties have, whatever
resources are necessary. Please listen to the voices of those crying for action tonight and listen more for
their passion and concern than their singular words. They are here because they care, and action should
be our united response.